


A Peculiar Type of "Dragon" Trainer

by Definitelylikesdragons



Category: Original Work, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Dragons, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, I believe this is what people call self-indulgent, Injury, Mostly Canon Compliant, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pokemon, Slow Burn, Sort Of, There is a dragon, Tiny bit of worldbuilding, Would Unrequited Crush fit here?, but not in the way you might think, partial Shapeshifting, this is my first fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 108,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26135620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Definitelylikesdragons/pseuds/Definitelylikesdragons
Summary: A... different telling of Pokémon Shield.  When a dragon, a literal dragon, shows up in the Galar region stuck in his alternate form and with no explanation, he starts a journey to discover how he ended up here and if there is a reason for it.  Along the way, he may learn that the ones around him might know more about his presence than they reveal.  In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to become a Pokémon trainer, or make a few new friends, or eat curry, or join the gym challenge, or...
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Implied Hop/OC, Rurina | Nessa/Sonia
Comments: 125
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After lurking on this website for years and reading many an amazing fic, I decided I wanted to get an account and post something I've been working on for a while. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, so please don't judge too harshly. I love Pokémon and I love dragons, so why not combine the two? This is a character of mine that I've had for years and wanted to incorporate him into a story, though I never figured it would be a fanfic, much less a Pokémon one, even if it's self-indulgent. I was inspired by many of the stories I have read on here. Not sure if I'll actually write as much of this as I have planned, but I really want to see how far I can take this. Sorry if this is too out there, I mostly wrote it for myself. Guess it's good practice more than anything. As my folks would say, "Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it."

Rico settled comfortably into the corner of the couch, yellow wings tucked against his back and tail lolling over the armrest. He was completely immersed in his new Switch. It was a hatchday present from his brother and he was eager to play it. It was incredibly generous the he even got it for Rico, and he didn’t stop thanking him until Scourge literally held his snout shut. He knew Pokémon Shield was months old by now, but it made it no less fun to start a new adventure. And on his OWN save file. Prior to now he was only allowed to borrow his cousin’s DS to play Pokemon, and she wasn’t going to let him delete her data to start a new game.

“Hey Rico!”

Rico glanced up to see his big brother, a black and blue dragon, approach. “Don’t get too comfy. It’s your turn to feed Auntie’s chickens.”

“I know. I know.” Rico sighed. “I just wanna get in a few minutes.”

He barely finished customizing his trainer. He wondered what he would look like as a Pokémon trainer for real. Rico just reached the age where dragons could learn how to use magic. Specifically, the first spell they learned was how to disguise themselves as human. It was important for all the creatures in this land to learn, as it was what allowed them to interact with humans on a regular basis without the risk of exposure.

“Hurry up, I really don’t wanna go in today. Last time that damn cockatrice tried to slash my throat! I swear that bastard’s meaner than a wet panther.”

Rico put the Switch on the cushion while hopping down.

“Language! And Nugget’s not mean, Scourge. He’s just guardin’ the coop like he’s supposed to. Ya can’t just barge on in. Ya gotta let ‘im know you’re there. He can’t see, after all.”

“Good thing for that. We’d all be statues by now.” Scourge muttered. “Ah, and don’t forget your homework. Ya gotta practice that spell more. No one’s gonna believe you’re human with a pair of wings stickin’ out.”

“It’s hard, Scourge. Everytime I try it, I can’t hide them!”

“That’s why ya keep practicing, hatchling.”

Rico huffed while making his way outside. He grabbed the feed from the shed and walked over to the coop dragging the bag behind him. Nugget rarely ate the feed. His main diet were the rats that tried to get at the eggs.

“Nugget? Hey, Nugget.”

The large, serpent-like bird lifted its head, looking in Rico’s direction despite the fact Rico knew he couldn’t actually see him. The cockatrice let out a squawking hiss.

“Hey boy. It’s just me. I’m coming in.” He took loud, deliberate steps as he entered the coop so Nugget could hear him approach.

While feeding the chickens, he reached out to the large creature. To his delight, Nugget happily lowered his head to allow some neck scritches. Rico laughed. “Some livestock guard you are. Look at the big, bad cockatrice, a few scratches and you’re happier than a squirrel in a nut factory.”

After Rico finished up, he bounded back inside.

“Hey, where’s my Switch?”

“I put it in your room, Rico.” Rico turned to see his cousin, Ara. A much larger yellow and black dragon. She was older than himself and Scourge, but still considered a chick. “It’s on your bed. You can get it later. Scourge asked me to help you with your magic.”

Rico groaned. Great. Homework time. Well, the sooner he started the sooner he could go, right?

The magic was difficult for young dragons to grasp. Ara was the only chick in the household could completely disguise herself, like their auntie could. Scourge was pretty good too. The only part that gave away him away while in human form were his horns, which Ara said was okay because at least they could hide them under a hat. With Ara’s guidance, he was able to hide his tail, but his wings and horns refused to disappear. Ara could tell he was getting frustrated after about an hour, so shifted back into dragon form and called it a day.

“We can try again tomorrow. You’re improving though. Last week you could barely stabilize. Why don’t you check out that history assignment for the week? I need to help with dinner, so Scourge is going to have to help you read the text tonight.”

************

Rico didn’t remember much about his parents. He was just a hatchling when his brother burst into his room one night, telling him they needed to leave now. Though trying to keep calm for his sake, Rico could smell the fear radiating off of him. They flew off that night into the unknown, and if their aunt hadn’t gone out of her way to track down her nephews, he’s sure they would have been stranded in the woods or street somewhere, forced to revert to a feral state in order to survive.

No one would talk to him about it. The few times he heard his aunt mention it she would clam up the second he entered the room. It annoyed him that he was still treated like a hatchling, but he wasn’t unhappy with his life. His aunt ran a small farm (or homestead as Ara called it) that the three of them assisted with. It was hard work, but it made moments like this all the more worthwhile.

Dinner was a welcome and delicious respite, and now he was happily settled into his top bunk while turning on his game.

“Keep the volume down on that thing. I actually want to get some sleep.” Scourge barked from the lower bunk.

“Alright. Fine. Don’t get your tail in a knot.” Rico snickered, turning the volume down to one notch above silent. “Grumpy chick.”

The beginning was pretty long, with a man in a gray suit going on about the Pokémon World and this region in particular: Galar. He released a Pokémon from a Pokéball that resembled a small orange elephant. Rico didn’t even read most of the text, eager to get to the point where he would get his first Pokémon. He didn’t know much about the starters in this game, he just figured he’d pick the one that appealed to him most. Two humans appeared on the screen, one with a bipedal metal Pokémon Rico didn’t know yet, the other with a much more familiar Charizard. Rico felt a slight flicker in his gut at the sight of the two of them. One appeared to be very tall, with bright blue eyes and wearing a dark hoodie that appeared to have spikes surrounding the hood. The other had piercing gold eyes and purple hair (and noticeable muscles). Shoot, they were kind of hot, huh? Were the rest of the characters going to be this handsome?

Though Rico wanted to keep playing, he found it harder and harder to stay awake. He nearly dropped the Switch when the two trainers started their battle. That jolted him awake. Last thing he needed to do is drop the Switch and break it. He was a little disappointed the intro was so long that he didn’t even get to the point where he got his first Pokémon, but there was always tomorrow. As long as he finished his homework and chores on time. With that newfound determination, he tucked his Switch under his pillow and settled in for the night. He fell asleep rather quickly, not noticing the strange red glow that began to form at the head…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to put this off, but I have the next chapter done and figured I may as well post it now. This is where some of the action starts. First chapter was more of a character introduction. If I do continue posting these, it's not going to be as quickly as this one was whipped out, I just happened to finish it early and I'm incredibly impatient.

_Cold. Dread. Stinging Pain. Help. Please, stop hurting! No, no, NO! STOP!_

Rico’s eyes shot open as he woke with a jolt. He felt like he just woke from a nightmare, but he couldn’t recall what he was dreaming about. As he calmed down he also realized he wasn’t in his room anymore. The grass he was lying on almost felt itchy. He looked around and saw nothing but trees. Did he sleepwalk into the woods overnight? He didn’t really have a history of doing that but…

He took a tentative sniff of the air. He became worried when he realized nothing smelled familiar. These weren’t the woods outside his home. They didn’t look or smell any way familiar to him.

“Hello…?” he chirped out nervously. “…Anyone?”

He reached up to scratch his head, and paused at the sight of his hand. No scales, claws much more blunted. He glanced down at himself.

Maybe he should have been alarmed, but he could have just shifted to human form in his sleep. Yeah, that made sense. The nightmare must have caused it. Other creatures had accidentally shifted between forms when startled or angry enough.

As usual, he could feel the small horns that refused to completely disappear poking out through the tuft of red fur ( _oh wait, it’s called hair)_ on his head. His wings were also still attached to his back, and his spotted tail twitched nervously on the grass. Rico huffed. He still couldn’t fully change.

Strangely, he noticed he was wearing a pair of white shorts. He was sure he wasn’t wearing anything when he went to bed. Dragons didn’t need to wear clothes like humans did, and he was in dragon form when he was…

When he was what? He couldn’t remember.

A rustle in the bushes caught his attention. Something was coming. He tried to stand up quickly, only to wince in pain from his flank. Looking down at himself carefully, he saw a gash in his side. It wasn’t bleeding profusely, so it wasn’t that fresh, but it was recent. Where the hell did that come from? Sure, he liked to roughhouse as much as the next dragon, but usually he had his scales to protect him from any real injury.

He didn’t understand what was going on. All that mattered right now was changing back and getting out of here in case whatever was coming was responsible for this. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He opened them and looked at his hands, expected his familiar red-and-yellow-scaled paws.

Human hands appeared to mockingly stare back.

What!? No, this can’t be right. Maybe he’s just freaking out and can’t concentrate properly. He closes his eyes and tries again, gritting his teeth in frustration.

“Why isn’t this workin'!?” 

He’s never had this much trouble changing back before. In fact, it always seemed his body was determined to stay more dragon than human, but now he can’t turn back at all!?

The rustling got closer and he heard a voice. It sounded human. He probably alerted them to his location with his outburst.

Nononono. He can’t be seen like this! Humans couldn’t see him like this! He had to hide, had to get away, had to-

As the human stepped into the clearing, Rico let his base instincts take over. He crouched low, expanding his wings over his head to make himself look bigger and snarled, tail lashing back and forth.

The human didn't flinch or even seem intimidated. Rico realized the man was pretty old for a human. He had long white eyebrows that hung past his chin, and a wrinkled face with kind but fiery eyes. He was wearing what appeared to be a green track suit, white pants, and a black and green hat.

The human took a step closer and Rico hissed in warning. To his surprise, the human simply smiled at him.

“Now, now. Come off it, mate. There’s no need for that.”

Rico stilled, regarding him with wary curiosity as the human held one hand out and began to move sideways, slowly inching closer. 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I was just out for a walk and heard someone shrieking like they were in pain.” He glanced down at the wound on Rico’s side. “Now that looks right painful. We should get that patched up, hmm?”

Rico’s instinct told him to bite, or flee, but something about this human made him not want to. He slowly lowered his wings and rose out of his defensive crouch right as the human touched one of his horns. The contact was soothing rather than fear-inducing.

“See? No harm’s going to come to you. It’s okay. You don’t seem to be from around here, huh little fella?”

The way the man was talking to him stirred a vague memory. This was similar to how Rico would talk to...

To who, exactly? A creature that was blind… that he approached slowly and talked to in a soothing tone to let it know he meant no harm.

“Um, where is here, exactly?”

The human’s eyes widened a bit, like he couldn’t believe Rico knew how to talk.

“Oh, well this is the Forest of Focus. It’s a part of the Isle of Armor. My name is Mustard.”

Rico burst out laughing out at that.

“ _Mustard!?_ Do ya got a brother named Ketchup?”

He looked up at the old man to realize he was dead serious. He dropped his wings, stammering out an apology. “Oh, uh.. I guess… it’s not that weird of a name. I mean-”

He was cut off by a laugh. “It’s alright. I like a lad with a good sense of humor.”

He helped Rico to his feet, even steadying him when he stumbled. Rico was surprised at how strong Mustard appeared to be. 

“Now how’d you get this?” Mustard points down at Rico’s injury. “It looks pretty nasty.”

“I don’t know.”

Mustard reached into his jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a small first aid kit. With Rico’s consent, he began to clean and patch up the wound, Rico gritting his teeth throughout the pain and resisting the urge to jerk away.

“How did you end up here on the Isle?”

“I don’t know.”

Mustard looked up from where he was taping gauze to his side. “You don’t know?”

“I-I just...woke up here. I don’t know how I got here or when this,” he gestured at his wound, “even happened. I don’t know why I can’t change back or what’s going on!”

“Change back?” Mustard asked, stepping away to examine his handiwork.

“Yeah. I’m…actually a dragon. My name’s Rico.”


	3. Chapter 3

Rico trudged through the forest, following close behind Mustard as he led the way. The old man kindly lent him a yellow uniform jacket, which he quickly slipped on. He usually didn’t like clothes, they were constricting and uncomfortable, but humans considered it inappropriate to walk around without them (they even wore them when they slept!) and in this form clothes didn’t feel so awkward. It also covered his wings, helping him pass slightly more as a human.

“Honestly, when I first saw you, I thought you might have been some new kind of Pokémon.” Mustard said jovially. “But then you spoke, and I knew I was dealing with something else entirely. You said you were a dragon, right? I’m assuming you do not mean dragon-typed.”

There are Pokémon here? But Pokémon was just a game, right?

“No sir.” Rico said, pulling the uniform around him tighter. “I’m a straight up dragon. Ya know, scales, wings, fire-breathin’ and stuff like that. Not right now, of course.”

“So you can shapeshift into a human, huh?”

“Sort of. I can hide my tail, but my horns and wings don’t seem to wanna go away. I’m havin’ trouble rememberin’ why, but I think its ‘cause I’m too little.”

“Too little?”

“Yeah, I can’t get this magic to work right ‘cause I’m too little to use it proper. I think I might’ve even changed in my sleep. I don’t know why I can’t change back now.”

“Hmmm. Perhaps we can start to find an answer to your predicament once we get back to the dojo.”

“Much obliged, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir, Rico. There’s no need for that level of formality.” 

“Okay, Mr. Mustard.”

The old man chuckled a bit as they reached the end of the wetlands they had been traveling through, walking up to a large building with a bear-like sign attached to the roof. Was that a Pokémon? There was even a field in front that looked like it was used for growing crops. 

Mustard started to open the front doors, but paused when he saw Rico hesitate behind him.

“Is something the matter?”

“Are there other humans in there?” Rico asked, taking a step back.

“Yes. All students of the dojo I run here.”

“I can’t be seen like this. You weren’t even supposed to see me like this. Humans aren’t supposed to know what I am. My wings might be covered but…” Rico pointed to the top of his head, where his horns jutted out of his hair. Mustard just smiled, removing the hat from his own head and plopping it on Rico.

“How’s that?”

Rico tried to glance up at the hat, but tilting his head back nearly made it fall off. He quickly re-adjusted it and mumbled, “Better. Thanks.”

With that, Mustard turned and threw open the dojo doors.

Rico could see several young humans line up immediately, all dressed in the same yellow uniform he was currently wearing.

“Hi-yah! Welcome back, Master Mustard.”

_Master Mustard?_

Rico looked at Mustard with a new sense of awe. He was the master of this dojo? If Rico knew that, he might have tried to be more respectful. He stood up straighter, but keep his head downcast. It wasn’t polite to stare an alpha right in the eyes.

“Hello everyone!” Mustard’s enthusiasm was infectious. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest student! This is Rico!”

Rico looked around and noticed some 15 pairs of eyes trained on him. His dragon side would’ve preened under the attention, but he was a little taken aback. New student? He was being accepted into this fleet just like that?

“Welcome to the dojo, newbie.” The students hollered, gathering around. Rico found himself drowning in a myriad of questions.

“So where did you come from?”

“I like your eyes. Are they naturally bronze like that?”

“Why are you wearing the Master’s hat?”

“Are you a trainer too? Where’s your Pokémon?”

“Alright, alright, let’s slow down a little.” Mustard said. “Rico just got here after all and I’m sure the boy is a bit tired and hungry from his trek, eh?”

As if on cue, Rico’s stomach growled loudly.

“Definitely hungry. What’s on the menu? I’ll eat anything, really. I’m not picky!”

He eagerly looked up at Mustard before remembering his place and glanced back down.

“We’re just in time to start dinner. How does a bowl of Max Soup sound?”

At that, the students rushed into what Rico assumed was the kitchen. He didn’t know whether to follow, so stood awkwardly in place.

A woman came out of one of the rooms on the far side of the dojo, followed by a small, blue cat-like Pokémon. Rico recognized it immediately. It was a…

“Shinx!” The little Pokémon bounded over to Mustard to say hi, playfully pouncing around by his feet. “Shinx. Shinx!”

“Hello, Shinx.” Mustard said, then turned his attention to the woman, smiling warmly. “And hello, Honey.”

The woman smiled back. “Hello, darling. Who is this?”

Rico only half payed attention, having reached down to pet Shinx. It showed no fear of him, happily purring under Rico’s touch. It was weird, he could almost feel the static electricity under his fingertips. He wondered if he would still be able to feel it if he had scales. Human hands were much more sensitive.

“This is Rico. He’s not from around here.” Mustard explained. “In fact, I don’t believe he’s of this world, if I’m being honest.”

The woman tilted her head. “What makes you say that?”

Mustard tapped Rico to get his attention. “Rico, if you would mind showing Honey what you really look like. I promise you she can be trusted.” 

The boy looked up briefly, then kept his gaze downcast. He reached up for the hat on his head and slowly removed it.

Honey gasped at the sight of two small silver horns poking through the boy’s red hair. The boy cringed, and quickly covered himself up again.

“Is he…”

“He says that he is a dragon. I have reason to believe he’s telling the truth.”

“I uh..” Rico began nervously. “I got wings and a tail, too.”

Honey squatted down to Rico’s level. “Oh you poor thing. Where did you come from?”

“I’m not really sure.” Rico stated. “I can’t remember much. The only thing I know for sure is,” Rico bent down to give Shinx one more pat, “there ain’t no Pokémon where I come from.”

“A world with no Pokémon…” Honey mused. “Do you have a family?”

“I’m sure I did. Wish I could remember more ‘bout them.”

“The boy may have amnesia.” Mustard considered. “Rico, why don’t you join the other students in the kitchen for dinner? I need to speak to my wife.”

Rico’s head snapped up. 

_Wife?_ This woman was Mustard’s _wife_? She looked half his age. How long do humans live, anyway?

Rico just awkwardly nodded and headed off. Food sounded very appealing right now.

Then again, food always sounded good to him.

Honey regarded the boy before turning to her husband.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for him to stay here?”

“I’m certain he’s not dangerous.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about. People can be so…”

“He’ll be under our protection here. The boy has nowhere else to go. No family he can speak of. No home he remembers.”

Honey sighed.

“You’re probably right. He would be safest here until we can find a way to help him.” She smiled. “I’ll go start on dinner. Would you mind checking on Hyde?”

Mustard smiled back. “Hyde is a clever boy. Perhaps he could assist with this predicament we’re in.”

Mustard headed to the back of the dojo closely followed by Shinx, and Honey made her way to the kitchen.

************

When Rico stepped into the kitchen, he saw the long table was packed with the other students. He feared he would not have a place at the table until two students saw him and simultaneously scooted away from each other to make room for him in between.

Rico smiled. He was touched how quickly he seemed to be accepted into their fleet. Dragons never trusted this readily.

“So what made you come to the Isle?” A darker skinned student asked.

“I kinda just ended up here.” Rico said.

“How old are you?” a short female asked.

“I just turned 6.” Rico noticed he strange looks the students gave him. Did he say something weird?

Oh crap! Human vs dragon age ratios, of course!

“I mean I’m…12?”

A delicious aroma began to waft into the room. Rico eagerly took in the air, stomach once again giving away how hungry he was.

The smells in the air were of seasonings he didn’t recognize. There was a spiciness to it, but also a vague sweetness?

Honey arrived in the room shortly after to announce dinner was ready. Rico was the first to bound off, nearly climbing over the other students to be the first to get a bowl, much to the others’ amusement. Once everyone had a serving, they were completely shocked to see Rico get up for a second, then a third.

Rico just polished off his last bowl when he caught some of the students looking at him again.

“What?”

“It’s just,” one student started. “I don’t think anyone’s ever finished even two bowls, let alone three! Where do you put all that food??

Rico regarded him curiously. “In my stomach. Where do you put yours?”

The rest of the table snickered as if Rico had told a joke. He didn’t get what was funny, but whatever. He was satisfied and all the humans here were really nice.

After dinner he was shown by Honey to a room he could stay in for the night. He thanked her and stepped into the room as she closed the door behind him. Rico placed the hat on the stand next to the bed and immediately shed the dojo uniform. If he was going to be human now he would have to get used to clothes eventually, but for now, it felt good to stretch his wings out. He allowed himself to fall on the bed, the exhaustion of the day catching up to him as he finally drifted off.

He had dreams of playing with a familiar black and blue dragon in the woods that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify some things: a group of dragons is called a fleet, much like how a group of wolves are called a pack or a group of whales are called a pod. Rico views Mustard the way he'd view an alpha dragon: the strongest dragon that leads the fleet, similar to Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon. In many animals, direct eye contact is considered confrontational, so direct eye contact is avoided especially when dealing with the leader. Given their long lifespan, dragons mature slowly, and Rico's species is considered full grown at 10 years old. The older they get, the easier magic is to wield.


	4. Chapter 4

Awareness came slowly the next morning. Rico sat up and crawled forward on the bed, yawning while stretching himself out like a cat. He looked around the room, noticing the dojo uniform he left hanging off the bedpost.

“So yesterday wasn’t a dream, huh?” he muttered to himself. “I still don’t remember much…”

He slipped out of bed, landing on all fours before pushing himself up onto two. He checked his bandaged side and peeled some of the tape holding the gauze back so he could check on his injury.

It was already scabbed over, looking days healed for a wound that was open just yesterday. That was a good sign. Dragons healed quickly after all.

Rico put the gauze back in place, figured keeping it covered for one more day couldn’t hurt. He picked the uniform and gave it a once over.

He could put it on again, right? Sure he didn’t wash it, but it’s not like he was wearing it for very long and it didn’t smell dirty. He shrugged and slipped it back on, keeping his wings tightly folded against his back to hide their shape. He then put the hat back on his head. He might need to get his own, soon. He couldn’t hold on to Mustard’s forever.

He stepped out of the room and immediately collided with a small boy.

“Oof! I’m sorry!” Rico said, helping the kid back up. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” The boy was wearing a pink sweater and had weird blue devices attached to his ears. Were those some kind of headphones or hearing aids?

“Hmm, you’re not in my current student database.” The kid said. “Ah, you’re that dragon my dad brought home, right?”

“What!?” Rico backed into the doorway, looking like he was ready to flee.

“It’s okay. My folks already told me about you. Your secret’s safe with me.” The boy extended his hand out for a shake. “I’m Hyde.”

“Rico.” Rico said, leaning in to sniff the boy’s hand. Hyde laughed for some reason.

“So you don’t remember where you came from, but you remember there are no Pokémon wherever it is?”

“I only got vague memories. Like something about a forest, and something about chickens…”

“Well I’m going to try and research this. There has to be a reason you ended up here, even if you can’t remember. If you came from another world, there must be a way for you to get back. Doors open two ways, after all.”

Rico nodded. He liked this kid.

“So can all of your kind shapeshift into humans?” Hyde asked.

“Most of us can. And not just dragons. Some of us are better at it than others. They can hide all their parts so they look completely human. My brother can…”

Rico trailed off, eyes wide.

“…I think…I have a brother.”

He grinned as he grabbed Hyde by the shoulders, shaking him in his enthusiasm.

“I have a brother!”

It’s just a small thing. A small flicker of recognition, but it’s something. He still can’t remember much about him. He’s not even sure of his name. But he knows he has a brother. He’s sure of it!

“Ok, ok!” Hyde jerked away from Rico’s grasp and doubled over. “…that’s great news. Maybe more of your memory will come back over time. For now, you better join the other students for training. I’m sure my dad is wondering where you are.”

“Oh right. Uh, by the way, who’s your dad?”

“You met him already. You know my dad’s the dojo master, right?”

“Mr. Mustard is your DAD?”

Mustard had a chick? The man looked ancient, even to a dragon. The Pokémon World was full of surprises, huh?

“Is that strange?” Hyde asked.

“It’s not! I mean... I’m sorry. Human lifespans are still a little lost on me.”

Hyde nodded. “You still better go before the others come looking for you.”

Rico turned tail and bolted.

************

Rico quickly found out Mustard was serious about making him a student. He was given a full dojo uniform and was expected to take part in all the training exercises the others performed, not slacking in the slightest. He sat out with some of the younger students when it came to Pokémon training and battles, not having a Pokémon of his own and the little ones with him apparently being too young to be trainers themselves.

Some of the students asked when he would catch a Pokémon of his own. After training in the Wetlands where he was mercilessly chased by ornery Bouffalant and Scyther, he decided he wasn’t ready yet.

In the games he used to play, the main character was always _given_ their first Pokémon, which would then be trained up until they were powerful enough to battle and catch Pokémon like these. But he had no Pokémon, and the ones here were too high leveled to catch unassisted. He didn’t have a Pokéball to his name as it was. Despite this, he loved playing with the other trainers’ Pokémon whenever he had the chance.

After a while, Rico fell into the flow of things. He returned Mustard’s hat after finding a dusty gray beanie under his bed from a previous student. It was more comfortable and covered his head better. When one of the students asked why he always wore a hat when they trained, Mustard stepped in for Rico, claiming the boy had a “scalp condition” that required him to keep his head covered. While unsure what that meant, it kept the others from asking more questions and Rico was fine with that. As long as they don’t think he’s contagious or something.

Several days later he was traveling through the Training Lowlands with a trainer he befriended named Fescue. He was telling Rico about the different species that could be found in this area when he noticed the boy had wandered off.

“Hey, kid? Rico? Where’d you go?”

Fescue got up to look around for Rico when he saw him sticking halfway out of a raid den.

“Oh shi-”

He grabbed Rico around the waist and yanked him back. Rico landed against him with an “Oof,” immediately reaching up to make sure his beanie was still on his head. “What was that for!?”

“Are you crazy!? Do you know how dangerous it is to stick your head in a raid den?” Fescue scolded. “Extremely powerful Pokémon live in them and they won’t hesitate to attack anyone that comes near. You don’t even have your own Pokémon to defend yourself with!”

Rico hung his head. “But I saw somethin’ shiny.” He opened his hand to show Fescue some small, red, sparkling objects.

“Those are watts.” Noting the confused look Rico gave him, he explained. “They’re often left behind in dens once the Pokémon move on. They can be used as currency here.”

Rico regarded the watts with fascination, though Fescue couldn’t tell if it was due to what he just explained, or if the boy just really liked shiny stuff.

A commotion in the distance caught their attention. Peeking over the edge of the hill they were on, they saw two men in the tall grass with strange devices in their hands.

“What are they doin'?” Rico asked. 

Fescue gently pushed Rico behind himself.

“Careful. I don’t think they’re friendly.”

One of the men aimed the device he was holding at a nearby Talonflame, firing out a net that trapped the unfortunate bird.

“Hey! They’re stealin' Pokémon! They’re poachers!” 

Fescue had to grab Rico by the collar of his jacket to keep him from charging headfirst into danger. Did this kid have no sense of self-preservation? 

“Don’t rush down there like a maniac. We need a plan. Maybe I could use my Poliwrath-”

“Get back to the dojo and tell the others to come as some as possible.” Rico said, still glaring at the audacity of the men below him. Fescue swore he heard him growling. “I’ll distract them so they don’t get away.”

“What? Rico, that’s insane! Poachers are merciless and they don’t care who they have to hurt to keep them out of their way. And you don’t have-”

“I know, Fescue!” Rico snapped. “I know I don’t have a Pokemon, but you can run faster than me so you can get help sooner. I’m not gonna try to fight them. Just distract them so they can’t steal anymore Pokemon!”

Without waiting for another word, Rico tugged his jacket out of Fescue’s grip and stalked down the hill. Fescue would have called after him but didn’t want to risk the poachers hearing them.

“Shit.” Fescue turned and ran back in the direction of the dojo.

************

Rico ducked in the cover of some berry bushes as he watched the poachers. One of them was laughing as the other approached the struggling Talonflame. It was disgusting. These creeps actually looked proud of what they were doing. Rico growled. He darted out into the open, calling out “Hey!”

The poacher whipped around, but upon seeing nothing more than a mere child standing before them, their shock turned to an eerie smugness.

“Well, well. What do we have here? Kid who thinks he’s a hero, huh?”

“That’s cute. Thinking you stand a chance.”

Rico froze. Maybe he was a little in over his head here. Facing them like this, in human form without his natural defenses against these two large men, he felt like a little hatchling crossing a rival dragon.

No. This is not the time to show any weakness. He’s not prey.

“Ya know you’re not supposed to catch Pokémon like that. Real trainers use Pokéballs. Or are y’all so weak ya can’t even do that right?”

Though the men kept up their creepy smirks, Rico saw anger flash in their eyes.

“Oi, big mouth, eh? Let’s see if you can fight as tough as you talk.”

The pair tossed out a couple of Pokéballs, releasing a Sneasel and a Scizor. Rico nervously took a step back. Yep, he was definitely in over his head.

“All that talk and you don’t even have a Pokémon?” Sneasel’s trainer snickered. “Consider this a lesson for sticking your nose in big boy business. Sneasel, Metal Claw!”

“Scizor, use X-scissor!”

Both Pokémon launched themselves at Rico, Gleaming claws and pincers extended. Rico just managed to jump out of the way, but no without getting the front of his shirt slashed. It didn’t nick his skin, but it was a close call. 

“Icy Wind, Sneasel!”

The cold air blew Rico back. Ugh, he hated the cold. Before he could recover himself, Scizor pinned him to the ground with it pincers, knocking off his beanie.

How low can these two asshats be to attack a kid like this? Fine. If this was how it was going to go, he’s not going to hold back.

Rico snarled, taking a deep breath and blowing a flame right in the Scizor’s eyes. It let out a sharp cry from both the pain and surprise, lifting its pincers to cover its face. Rico took the advantage of the distraction to kick Scizor off. When Sneasel tried to pounce him from behind, Rico used his tail to swat it away. He growled at the startled Pokémon, tail lashing and eyes glowing like molten steel. Sneasel leapt out of the way to avoid a burst of flame aimed in its direction.

“What the hell!?”

Rico turned around to glare at the poachers, belatedly noticing their shocked expressions. His rage gave way to fear as he realized what he had just done. 

“Is that thing a Pokémon?”

“If it is, it’s not one I’ve ever seen.”

The man with the net gun grinned, aiming it at Rico. “That just means it’s all the more valuable.”

Rico was wrapped in a net before he had a chance to react. He yelped, struggling to escape as the poachers returned their Pokémon and began to approach him.

“Think of how much this one will get us. Bet its worth more than that Talonflame.” The man said as he reached for Rico. He spat out a flame, causing the man to quickly retract his hand.

“Damn! Feisty little bastard.” 

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Rico and the poachers immediately turned their attention to the top of the hill, where an army of about 15 trainers stood, Pokémon partners deployed by their sides.

“Well, shit.” One of the poachers sighed.

Though excited to see the whole fleet here, Rico also knew the compromising position he was in. If only he could get out of this freaking net before the others saw! At the very least, he could hide his tail again. In desperation he began to chew on the material of the net. Though it seemed fire resistant, it clearly wasn’t teeth resistant as he could feel it beginning to give way.

The poachers didn’t get a chance to run as they were quickly surrounded by the student’s Pokémon. A couple of the students went to help the trapped Talonflame while Fescue went to help Rico. Rico quickly put his hands over his head in a desperate attempt to cover his horns. He was already halfway out of the net. 

“Didn’t I warn you?” Fescue said, handing Rico his discarded headwear. “You’re lucky we got here when we did. I told you poachers don’t care who they hurt.”

Rico snatched the beanie so fast it took Fescue about 3 seconds to realize it was no longer in his hand. He thought he caught the glimpse of something silver on Rico’s head before it was covered, but figured it must have been a trick of the light.

Rico mumbled a thanks. Fescue noticed how frightened he looked in that moment and decided he didn’t need anymore scolding, helping his friend to his feet.

“Don’t be so reckless next time.”

Rico honestly couldn’t promise that. Sometimes it was hard to fight against his instincts.

In short order, the poachers were rounded up and led back to the dojo where they would be held and arrested once the police arrived. After some “gentle coaxing,” according to Fescue, they learned the poachers had camp set up in the Warm Up Tunnel. 

While most of the students waited back at the dojo for the police to arrive, Mustard accompanied Rico, Fescue, and a student named Ferne to the tunnel in case there was a third poacher hiding out, but the only presence at the camp were several Pokémon in cages. It made Rico so mad. Many of the Pokémon were clearly frightened. Some just sat bleary eyed as if they had given up all chances of escape. There was a Scyther, a Stoutland, two Sandile, and a large, fluffy, blue bird Rico couldn’t remember the name of. Swablu? He saw two smaller, round, fluffy birds peeking out fearfully from under the larger bird’s cloud-like wings. No, those were Swablu. The big one must have been Swablu’s evolved form.

“This is awful.” Fescue said. “These poor Pokémon.”

“At least we got to them before someone else could.” Ferne said. “I can’t believe we had poachers here on the Isle, though. It’s extremely rare. Even the Galar region doesn’t get many poachers due to their environmental protection laws.”

“Galar’s what?” Rico asked.

“Galar has heavily enforced environmental protection laws that go as far as to restrict which Pokémon you’re even allowed to bring into the region.” Fescue explained. “Even poaching is rare there because of the heavy fines and punishments carried out once caught.”

Mustard examines the cages one by one.

“Hmm… Most of these Pokémon are native to the Isle, so they can be released here. However, I’m concerned about that little one right there.”

He pointed in a corner where another small cage was located. Rico hadn’t even noticed it. Peeking inside, he saw a little green creature with big tusks cowering at the back of its cage.

“A baby Axew!” Ferne squealed. She approached it, but stopped when the Axew snapped its jaws.

“Axew!” it cried, banging its tusks against the bars of its cage.

“Yikes! Be careful! It seems pretty aggressive.” Fescue said.

Rico watched the Axew. Yeah, it was acting aggressive and growling, but there was something off about it. It didn’t really want to attack; he could tell by that bluff strike. 

It was like him when Mustard first found him in the forest.

Rico began to approach Axew himself, moving sideways and reaching his hand out.

“Rico, careful!” Fescue said. “That Axew is angry!”

“Not angry.” Rico said. “Scared.”

Axew glared at Rico, but Rico didn’t flinch.

“Hey little guy.” He said softly. “I know you’re pretty scared right now. Those people were pretty awful. Creeps like that would steal the flowers off their grandma’s grave. Look, I get it. Humans suck!”

Fescue and Ferne seemed a little taken back while Mustard stood there unfazed, watching Rico interact with the Axew.

“But not all people are like that.” Rico continued, smiling. “There are really nice people out there that’ll give ya the hat off their head if ya needed it. Ya just gotta learn who to trust.”

Rico reached the edge of the cage, hand brushing against the bars but not reaching in. Axew hesitantly approached and sniffed his hand. It looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise. Rico kept smiling.

_You can tell can’t you? I’m not really human. I’m like you._

“Yew.” Axew placed its little claws on the back of Rico’s hand.

“I don’t believe it...” Fescue said, looking on in shock.

Mustard smiled.

“You know, Rico, Axew aren’t native here to the island. The only choice we’d have would be to transfer it to the Galar region.”

“Why is that?” 

“The Galar region has a dragon-type conservation program. Axew could be integrated into it and protected until it was strong enough to be released. However, it would require a long period of quarantine and there is always the chance it may not be accepted by the other dragon-types already living in the area. I think it might be in that little one’s best interest to stay with a trainer. Why don’t you keep him?”

“Really?” Rico asked. “I can keep him? Is that okay?”

Fescue nodded. “It’s a great idea. Master Mustard is right. You finally got your first Pokémon, mate.”

Rico looked back to Axew. His little hands were still gripping his own. Rico locked eyes with the little Pokémon.

“So Axew, ya wanna be partners?”

“Yew! Axew!”

Rico unlatched the cage and the little Pokémon leapt into his arms. Rico hugged him, laughing heartily.

His first Pokémon. He finally got his first Pokémon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me, or are these getting longer?


	5. Chapter 5

Rico decided to name the Axew, Skewer. When asked why, his explanation was “his tusks make me think of shish kebabs.”

Skewer was still timid around people he didn’t know, which everyone attributed to the condition he was found in. Nevertheless, he was comfortable around Rico. He happily cuddled next to his trainer in bed at night and followed him everywhere.

Rico had to admit owning a Pokémon was more work than it seemed in the games he used to play. In the games Pokémon didn’t need to eat or be groomed every day. Sure, there were options to do so, but the Pokémon wouldn’t die if one chose not to, not like this living and breathing creature he was raising.

It was work alright, but it was fun work as far as Rico was concerned. Now that he had Skewer by his side, he could participate in battles with the other trainers. He nearly had a fit the first time Skewer broke a tusk, but was reassured that Axew tusks grow back quickly and become stronger every time they grow in. Given both Rico and Skewer’s lack of training, they found themselves on the losing end of battles more than not. It sucked, but it was fun. At least Skewer was gaining experience so he could level up.

Another advantage to having Skewer was that Rico could travel to the farther parts of the Isle without a chaperone. Despite loving being in a group, these solitary moments in Loop Lagoon or the Training Lowlands were some of the best times Rico had. In the absence of others he was free to spread his wings, literally. It was nice being able to fly again, even if it was just a little. He feared he wouldn’t be able to fly in this form, he never had to try before. Thankfully, his wings and tail seemed to work just fine even if the rest of his body didn’t quite match. Skewer would watch excitedly from the ground and a few times Rico actually tried to pick up the Axew, but wasn’t used to carrying a passenger while flying.

One morning days later Rico sat up in bed and stretched like usual. Skewer was still asleep. Rico found himself wondering what happened to the Axew’s family. If he even had one? Did they get taken? Or worse? Were they okay but unaware they were missing a hatchling?

Rico then started to wonder about his own family. Did they know they were missing a hatchling? Did his brother notice he was gone? Was he looking for him? Why can’t he remember anything?

Rico shook off those thoughts before they could overwhelm him. He didn’t want to think of that for now. He got up and moved to shake Skewer awake. He learned to shake him by the flank. If his hand strayed too close to his head Skewer would try to bite in his dazed state. Rico learned that the hard way. On the bright side, Skewer was very apologetic that day, nearly crying when he saw what he did to his trainer. Despite not having scales in this form, his skin was still thicker than the average human’s, so it didn’t do that much damage and healed quickly.

Skewer woke with a yawn and sat up slowly. Once Rico was sure he was fully awake he scratched the base of Skewer’s horn the way he liked his own horns scratched for a few minutes, then slipped on his usual dojo uniform and beanie.

“C’mon, Skewer. Another day of trainin’!”

“Ax!”

Rico stepped out of his room and nearly bumped into Hyde again as he was walking past.

“Oh, hi Rico. Haven’t seen you in a while. I heard you got yourself an Axew. That’s great.” Hyde glanced down at the Axew hiding behind Rico’s legs.

“Thanks. He’s a little shy, but he’s friendly when he trusts you.” Rico said, smiling. “So whatcha been up to lately?”

Hyde sighed. “Well, you want to see something cool?”

Rico nodded eagerly, so Hyde led him to the back of the dojo. Rico realized in all the time he’d been here he never came back here; never had a reason to. In the corner were stacks of Pokemon beds and a pile of balls. At the far end of the room a big couch sat in front of a large TV that had a video game left on the screen. The shelves lining the walls contained books and some trophies. Rico had to admit, the gold looked kind of tasty.

When he looked back at Hyde, he was messing with something at a computer desk in front of him. Rico curiously approached and saw Hyde was working on a small blue device with a tassel hanging from the bottom. The blue part had some wires sticking out of it.

Rico cocked his head to the side. “What is it?”

“It’s supposed to be an Experience Charm.” Hyde explained. “When it’s done, it should be able to increase the experience points a Pokémon earns in battle. Unfortunately its non-functional at the moment. If only I had some more watts…”

“You need watts? Hold on.”

Rico disappeared around the corner almost faster than Hyde could blink. When he came back he was carrying handfuls of small red sparks that he proceeded to dump on Hyde’s desk.

“What the…” Hyde stared, mouth agape. “Rico, this is easily over 1000 watts. Where’d you get all this?”

“Ya can find them all over in those raid dens.” Rico said. “They get left behind a lot.”

“I can’t take all this. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“It’s fine, Hyde. I got a lot more and I don’t need ‘em for nothin’. You could make better use out of them than I could.”

Hyde turned to Rico, eyes shining with gratitude.

“With all this, I could finish the charm in a few days, then I can start testing it out. Thanks a lot. Really!”

“Hey, anything for a friend.” Rico said, grinning.

Hyde turned back to his work as Rico picked up Skewer and headed out.

Rico had decided to go to Forest of Focus the to get some training in with Skewer and maybe even get some flying in for himself as no one was around to see him. For this reason he took of his jacket and placed it near a berry tree (picked clean as he filled all the pockets) so his wings could be loose.

“Hey, Skewer, watch this.”

Rico took a deep breath and blew out an orange flame. Skewer seemed fascinated.

“Cool, huh? Now you try.”

Skewer deeply inhaled, then let out a breath of air. He seemed confused when nothing happened, then tried again. When nothing happened again, he got frustrated.

“Wait, can Axew learn fire-type attacks?” Rico pondered. “I better ask someone about this.”

“Yew!” Skewer threw his head back and yelled. A purple ball of energy formed in his mouth and shot up. It didn’t go very high, but Rico still stared on in shock.

“Wow! What move was that? Wait, I think I know it. It’s…um…Dragon Rage!”

Skewer puffed out his chest proudly. 

“Cool! I can’t wait to try that in our next battle!”

A commotion in the distance caught the dragons’ attention. Rico tensed. Where there more poachers on the Isle? He shushed Skewer and crept to the edge of the tree line. Out in the Wetlands there were a number of students who appeared to be chasing a Slowpoke. At least Rico thought it was a Slowpoke. It was large, pink, and chubby like a Slowpoke, but its head and tail looked like they had been dipped in yellow paint. It was also moving incredibly fast. The trainers were running after it, jumping and pouncing, but they missed every time, most of them ending up with a face full of mud.

Why were they after the Slowpoke? Were they trying to catch it? Nah, if that were the case they would have used their Pokémon to battle it. Maybe it made off with some of their supplies? Oh, what if it stole their lunch? Rico could understand that. He would be pissed if anyone got between him and his next meal. 

“I think we should help them, Skewer.” Rico turned and looked at the Axew, who nodded in affirmation.

They stalked low to the ground, keeping out of sight. Rico hid in a cluster of bushes and ducked down. This felt familiar. Setting an ambush. Hunting prey. Even if he wasn't actually going to eat the Slowpoke, just subdue it long enough for his fleet to get their stuff back. Heck, if it did steal food, maybe they’d offer him some as a thanks. Skewer waited near a fallen log until the Slowpoke got ready to charge past. When close enough, Skewer leapt out with a “YEW!” doing his best attempt at a Scary Face. The Slowpoke turned tail and ran, albeit slower than before, right into the bushes where Rico was waiting. Rico pounced on the Slowpoke, pinning it down best he could. It was bigger and slipperier than he expected, so he resorted to digging his claws in, not deep enough to puncture its skin, but enough to get him a grip. He struggled to pick it up, holding it against his chest upside down.

“I got it, guys! I got it!” Rico yelled, grinning. He eagerly looked at the surrounding trainers, only for his grin to falter at the sight of horror on their faces. “Guys?”

“What...what is that thing?”

“Rico?”

“No way. That thing’s not Rico!”

“Is it a Pokémon? It looks too human.”

“It’s a demon! Look at the horns on its head.”

_Oh no._

Rico remembered his tail the moment it curled between his legs in dread. He had left his jacket in the forest to stretch his wings. And his hat was currently hanging off one of his horns from struggling with the Slowpoke.

“No, guys, wait. I can explain-”

Three of the trainers pulled out their Pokéballs. Rico squeezed the Slowpoke tighter when he recognized one of them as Fescue.

“Let’s take it down!”

The sound of Pokéballs deploying preceded Rico facing down a Poliwrath, Hitmonchan, and Scraggy.

“Guys, Fescue, please! It’s me!”

Rico closed his eyes in fear. Skewer ran in front of his trainer, little arms spread as if he could shield him from the onslaught that was inevitably coming his way. 

“STOP!”

Rico cracked open an eye to see a man standing in the middle of the group of trainers. He was wearing what resembled the yellow dojo uniform, but it was a little different. There was an image of a sword and shield on the front. His hair was tied up like a bun on his head, but a long red strand trailed from the back. It wasn’t until he saw the long white eyebrows and fiery eyes that Rico recognized him.

“Master Mustard?” The trainers said in shocked unison.

The dojo master marched over to stand between the group of Pokémon and Rico, closely followed by his Shinx and a bipedal weasel-like Pokémon Rico didn’t know the name of.

“What do you all think you’re doing attacking a fellow student?”

“B-but Master, it’s-”

“Rico.” Mustard interrupted. “The new student who has been training with us for the past few weeks. Who you had all treated as a friend until now. Why should he be treated any different now simply because he looks different?”

Fescue and the others turned to look at Rico. He was trembling slightly, clutching the Slowpoke like his life depended on it, eyes shiny like he was about to cry.

“Aw, Rico…I’m so sorry.” Fescue said.

Mustard turned to Rico. “Rico, you can let go of the Slowpoke now.”

Rico dropped it unceremoniously on the ground. It simply stood up and lazily trotted away. 

“The trial is done for today.” Mustard announced. “I think it’s best we all head back now.”

He waited until all the Pokémon were recalled before moving in the direction of the dojo. After taking a few steps, he stopped and glared over his shoulder at the trainers, the closest to angry Rico had ever seen.

“You should all know better than to judge someone based solely on their appearance.”

The trainers hung their heads as they followed Mustard back to the dojo. Rico didn’t move, standing in place as if frozen. A small tug on his pant leg seemed to thaw him a bit, as he looked down to see Skewer at his feet, worry written across his face.

“Yew…?”

Rico said nothing, sniffling before scooping up the young Axew and heading back himself, following as slowly as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was already done, so I figured I'd post it early considering the last one ended on a bit of a sad note. Only to realize this one ended on a worse one. Oh well, enjoy.

“RAAAARGH!”

Rico punched the mattress of his bed as hard as he could, nearly snapping the wooden frame. Skewer yelped and leapt off the bed.

“This world ain’t no different than any other! I should torch this place! Skewer, I take it back! All humans are awful!”

He thought briefly of Mustard, Honey, and Hyde.

“All but three are awful! I can’t believe I fell for all that!”

He covered his face with his hands, fell back onto the bed, wrapped himself in his wings, and roared. Long and anguished, only partially muffled by his wings.

“Fine. If that’s how it’s gonna be, then I ain’t got no reason to stay here any longer.”

He got up from the bed and started to grab what few items he had, turning to at his Axew, eyes glowing angrily.

“C’mon Skewer. We’re leaving.”

************

Rico peeked out the door to his room, checking to see the hall was empty. The doors to other rooms were all closed, suggesting everyone had turned in for the night. Good.

He had put Skewer in his Pokéball to make it easier to sneak out without having to carry the extra weight or risk him crying out. He stepped out into the hall. The floorboard squeaked loudly. Crap. He was much more light-footed as a dragon. You had to be if you watched to catch dinner. He waited for a full minute to make sure no one stirred before hesitantly taking another step, this time being more careful as to where he put his foot. 

“Going somewhere this early?”

Rico nearly leapt into the ceiling, then mentally scolded himself for reacting like a prey animal.

Rico turned to face Mustard. How had he not seen him in the hall? Did he sneak up on him? Did he know what he was doing? Rico realized his wings were flared up instinctively and sheepishly folded them.

“I…uh…”

Rico sighed. What was the point of sugarcoating it if he already knew?

“I’m leavin’. I’m sorry, Mr. Mustard, I really appreciate everything ya did to help me. I really do! But I’m not stayin’ in a place where everybody’s gonna look at me funny.”

Mustard’s face was unreadable. “You sound like you’ve had a similar occurrence in the past.”

“I… think so.” Rico said. “I still don’t remember much but I know for a fact this is why we dragons have been hidin’ for so long.”

“Hiding in plain sight.” Mustard mused. “Well, I suppose if you feel the need to leave, I can’t stop you.”

Rico stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously!?”

Mustard strolled past Rico. “There is a Corviknight Taxi station near the beach in the Fields of Honor. They can take you anywhere in the Galar region, or to the airport if you wish to leave the region entirely. I know you can fly, but I think this method might be a tad more inconspicuous, hmm?”

So just like that? He was being kicked out? Rico's wings drooped sadly.

“I’m sorry you were made to feel unwelcome. Just know that if anything doesn’t work out you are free to return at any time. There will always be a spare room available.”

Rico's head snapped up. “Huh?”

“I would make the same offer to any of my students and you are a student here after all.”

Rico didn’t know what kind of deities existed in the Pokémon World, but he’d sure like to thank them for dumping him on this island so he could meet this amazing human.

Mustard was nice enough to have returned Rico’s jacket he had left in forest. He was also nice enough to lead him to the taxi station, knowing Rico had never been there before.

“The first taxi of the day comes by at 4:30 in the morning. That’s because a lot of working people commute at 5.” Mustard explained. 

Rico looked at the big clock in the station. It was 3:25. Man, this was going to take forever…

“Oh, and by the way, I think you should take this.” Mustard said, handing Rico a small orange object.

“What’s this?” Rico turned the object in his hands and sniffed it, nearly yelping when it buzzed to life and floated in front of him, blinking.

“That is a Rotom phone. Do you know how to us a phone?”

Rico nodded. “I ain’t ever had one before but I know how they work.”

“Good. You will need it if you want to travel through the region. This one has a map installed on it already. It also has the dojo’s number installed if you want to call for any reason.”

“Wait. You’re giving it to me?”

Rico was genuinely surprised. Mustard was just giving him a whole working phone for free? Dragons were never this generous. Most _humans_ weren’t this generous.

“Of course. It also has an ID registration that identifies you as a member of the dojo. So if you want to enter in a regional tournament as a trainer, it’ll state you are from the Isle and are a legal participant.”

“But…I’m not really from here.”

“I know, but I’d highly discourage you from telling others that. I know my students reacted negatively towards your appearance, even if they were apologetic after the fact, but I cannot guarantee that every human will share the same sentiment. Be careful, Rico.”

Rico reached out and grabbed the phone, sticking it in his shorts pocket. “Thank you. Really, thanks for everything Mr. Mustard. Please tell Honey thanks too, and that she’s an amazing cook.”

Mustard nodded, smiling. “I’m sure she’d be happy to hear that.”

“And tell Hyde good luck with his next invention. And please tell Fescue… I don’t hate him.”

Mustard nodded once more and turned to leave, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Rico waved back, then sat on the bench to wait.

He got bored after a while and pulled the phone out from his shorts pocket and a Figy berry from his jacket. He was thrilled to know all those berries he picked earlier were still in his pockets. He stuffed the fruit into his mouth while turning the phone back on. It zipped out of his hand again and floated in front of him.

“So, ya got any games?” he asked.

“Bzzzt! What kind of gamezzz are you looking for?”

By the time 4:30 rolled around Rico was engulfed in a puzzle game that involved running a café. He initially picked it because he thought the Pokémon themed dishes looked delicious, but now found himself simultaneously enraged and obsessed with getting to the next level.

He looked up from the game when he heard flapping, almost startled to see a massive black bird that looked like it was wearing armor and carrying something large in its talons. Rico has seen cars before, but this looked like a cab with no wheels. A human dressed in flight gear jumped off the bird’s back.

“Hello guv’nor.” The cheerful cabbie said. “Where are you headed off to?”

Rico stood up and pocketed his phone.

“What’s the next closest station to here?”

“That would be the Wedgehurst station.”

“I guess I’m going there, then.”

The cabbie opened the door to the strange vehicle and Rico hopped inside, thanking him as he did. He saw the cabbie say something to the bird before climbing back on. Rico jolted at the bird’s take off, then laughed a little. He’s used to flying himself by himself. No one’s ever flown him anywhere. 

As the taxi took off into the still dark sky, Rico saw another arriving to the Isle. There were two figures inside the vehicle, one with glaringly pink hair and the other wearing what looked like a ridiculously tall hat.

************

It was a given that Rico enjoyed flying. What was the point of wings if you never used them, right? Plus, it was just plain fun. Zipping through the sky, diving, soaring, seeing the world from such a high perspective. 

He may not be the one actively doing the flying, but it applied this this situation too. He stuck his head out of the taxi window. He would have probably let his tongue hang out, but vague memories of someone telling him not to do that, that he was a dragon and not a dog, urged him to keep his jaws shut. Instead, he watched the Isle get smaller and smaller and the ocean waves crash along the rocks and smaller islands below. He saw Pokémon in the ocean too. A Sharpedo jetted across the surface of the water, only to leap over a Wailord that surfaced. It was so big!

Rico took a deep inhale. The salty air smelled damp, and not just due to the ocean. It smelled like there would be a storm. He ducked back into the taxi, not wanting to get wet. Sure enough, it began to rain. Rico marveled at how the big bird was able to power through the weather like this. He hated flying in the rain, hated being cold and wet. The weather progressively got rougher, gusts of wind blowing hard and thunder booming overhead. 

Rico whimpered. Storms didn’t scare him that much, but he was midair dangling from a basket that was being violently whipped around by the wind. Like that porta-potty from a video he watched.

He stuck his head out the window again. He grumbled at bit at getting wet, but he wasn’t sure if the cabbie would hear him otherwise.

“Hey!” he yelled. “Is everything okay up there?”

“Corviknight here has flown in worse conditions, don’t you worry!” the cabbie called back.

Rico hoped he was telling the truth. The darkness of the clouds overhead made it hard to see anything until lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the world around. He thought he saw lights in the distance. Looks like they were close to a town. That was a relief, he’d be able to get off soon.

Suddenly, a powerful gale slammed into the bird’s side, causing it to cry out as they were blown way off course.

“Woah! Hold on to something! This is gonna get rough!” the cabbie yelled over the wind.

Rico was thrown against the door, causing it to unlatch and swing open. He grabbed the frame in one hand and the seat in his other, digging in blunted claws frantically to find a purchase. He took it back. This wasn’t fun. If he was flying on his own, he wouldn’t have to worry about falling out of a taxi with his wings pinned to his back by a jacket. They pushed against the fabric, trying to break free, instinct telling him to fly to safety and find shelter. He struggled to pull himself back in, risking letting go of the seat to claw at his jacket. A sharp turn caused the taxi to swing wide, and to his horror, Rico found himself falling right out.

He shrieked at the same time thunder boomed, leaving him unheard by the cabbie or his mount. In desperation he managed to tear off the jacket, losing it to the winds as he spread his wings and released his tail. He was too disoriented to fly straight, the wind battering him like a kite with its string cut. He tried to angle himself, fearing he would crash or fall into the sea, but had no idea where he was going. He wished he was home. He wished he was back at the Isle. He wished he was anywhere but here.

He thought he saw a tree line in the distance, but before he could confirm he was blown right into it. He crashed through branches, causing him to tumble to the ground, hitting several more on the way down. He landed on his stomach, knocking the wind (ha, _wind_ ) out of him. Rico didn’t bother getting up, he was too exhausted. His consciousness gave way under the raging storm somewhere above the trees.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, another chapter posted. This is the beginning of the point where it starts to follow the plot-line. Also, it's not related to the chapter, but I posted some artwork at the end to give an idea of what the dragon brothers look like. I'm not good at drawing humans, so they're in dragon form.

Rico slowly opened his eyes and groaned. Everything hurt. He really didn’t want to move. He was still soaked through from last night, though, and the wetness was uncomfortable. He cautiously moved his wings. They were sore, but nothing suggested either of them were broken. Thank Tiamat for that. He’d rather be dead then flightless. He flapped them a little to shake off the water droplets. Ugh, clothes felt even worse when they were wet and clinging to his body. He carefully sat up, wincing at the small cuts on his body from scraping against some of the sharp branches he fell through. It was a bit ironic, he thought. Those same branches were the reason he was even alive. If he plummeted straight to the earth at the speed he was going at…

Rico shuddered a bit, both due to the thought and the cold. He finally risked a glance at his surroundings.

Well, didn’t this feel like déjà vu? Back in a forest, just like he woke up the first time. He knew it wasn’t the Forest of Focus; the trees here were different and nothing smelled familiar. How long was he out? It seemed light out, but it was incredibly foggy. He could barely see three feet ahead of him, and his vision was much better than any human’s. 

Lost again. And now with no kind old human to help him. Maybe he should have just stayed put, like a good little hatchling in a nest. He wanted to roar out his frustration but didn’t have the energy. Something else growled, however. He put and hand to his stomach and winced. 

Hungry. So freaking hungry. He lost his jacket in the storm. The thought of some other sap out there finding it and getting to feast on the berries he collected made him lash his tail in irritation. Those were his! His eyes widened as he realized something, reaching into his shorts’ pockets and sighing in relief when he felt both his phone and Skewer’s Pokéball. At this point he figured he may as well get up and look around a bit. If he laid in the cold grass any longer he might get sick, and it was likely there were berry trees around.

As he shakily stood up, he heard a sound. It distinctly resembled a sheep bleating. The thought of sheep nearby made his stomach growl louder. Well didn’t that sound even more appetizing than berries? The idea of an easy meal encouraged him to follow the sound. The fog was still thick, but he could hear it getting closer. He was surprised when a small fluffy creature rolled right up to him. It looked like a sheep, it was woolly like a sheep, but he never saw a sheep that could roll around like a soccer ball. It took one look at him and bleated in alarm.

“MEEEEEEEH!”

“Wooloo? Wooloo, is that you, mate?” a voice called out from the fog.

Rico backed off. If this sheep was a pet, he had no business trying to eat it, not that he wasn’t sorely tempted. A young human came barreling out of the fog. He reached down and picked up the little sheep, holding it close.

“There you are. You should know better than to wander into the Slumbering Weald. There are all kinds of scary-”

He looked up to see Rico standing there and went stock still.

The human looked like he could be Rico’s age. He had dark hair that stood up funny on his head and bright gold eyes. He was also wearing a blue jacket lined with fur trim that looked incredibly warm and cozy.

He stood frozen in place like prey before a predator, as if hoping he wouldn’t be noticed if he didn’t move.

“Uh…howdy?”

The human screamed and ran off.

“No, wait-!” Rico started to run after him, not really sure what he was going to do if he caught up. At the very least he had hoped the human could lead him out of this place, since he seemed to know where he was going. After a while, Rico realized he could no longer hear any footsteps or noises. Great. Just freaking great. He lost track of the human and now he was more lost than before. He ran in circles, but the fog made it too hard to see where he came from, though going back didn’t seem like a much better option. He could try to keep going straight and see where that led him. This place can’t go on forever, right?

A low growl behind him caught his attention. Hackles raised, he turned around to see what appeared to be a large wolf. A really large wolf. It looked as tall as him!

He felt like he should be more alarmed, but something was off about it. He was sure he was downwind from it but couldn’t pick up a scent. The wolf also looked shimmery, like a mirage. That had to be it. He was hallucinating. Maybe that hit on the head he got when he slammed into the tree last night rattled him more than he thought. Their eyes stayed locked on each other for several minutes, then the wolf turned to walk away. Rico felt relief for a second before it stopped and glanced over its shoulder. Rico cocked his head.

“Do…do ya want me to follow you?”

The wolf never answered, simply continuing on its path. Rico scrambled to catch up. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to follow, but it beat wandering around lost in this fog for who knows how long. It might even be leading him out of here. 

He noticed as they continued on the wolf was getting harder and harder to see. At first Rico thought it was because he was falling behind, but it actually seemed that the wolf was just fading away into the gloom. 

“Hey, don’t just leave me here!” Rico called out, but by the time he caught up to where the wolf was standing, it had been completely engulfed by the fog. “Oh, come on!”

It vanished. Like a ghost. Creepy. Maybe he did hallucinate the whole thing. Well, he wasn’t any closer to getting out of here. Guess he would have to go back to plan B: pick a direction and just go straight.

“HELP!!”

The piercing cry made Rico’s head snap up. “Hello?”

“Someone please!”

Rico took off in the direction of the cries. He came to a cliff and would have careened right off the edge had he not caught himself at the last second.

“Meeeh…”

Rico saw the little sheep near the cliff. It was still scared of him, keeping its distance, but something else seemed to be frightening it as well. Where was its human?

“Help!”

Rico had a sinking feeling in his gut. He kneeled on the edge and looked down. There was the human! He was desperately clinging to a tree root sticking out of the side of the cliff, eyes closed in fear and screaming for help.

“Hey! Human!”

The human opened his eyes and looked up, eyes going extra wide at the sight of Rico. Rico leaned over the edge and reached his hand towards him. 

“Gimme your hand!”

The human’s eyes flitted between Rico and his hand. Rico could just about picture what was going on in his mind: Fall to his doom or take the scary creature’s hand and hope for the best.

“Hurry!”

Thankfully, the human picked the latter. He took one hand off the root and reached as high as he could for Rico’s outstretched hand.

“Almost there.”

Suddenly the root gave way, the human screaming as he began to freefall.

“NO!”

Rico practically dove over the edge and grasped the human’s wrist in both hands, flapping his wings for leverage. It hurt something fierce, but Rico didn’t care. He only stopped once the human was safely on the ledge again. He dropped back, his wings aching from the exertion. Both boys lay panting in the grass. The sheep hesitantly approached its human and pressed its nose to him a few times. After catching his breath, Rico was the first to speak.

“Are you okay?”

The human panted a couple more times before responding.

“Yeah… I’m fine… thank you.” He pushed himself up onto his arms and stared at Rico. “So…please don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but…what are you?”

Rico smiled. He wasn’t running away again. That was a step in the right direction. “I’m a dragon. What’s that?” He pointed at the sheep.

“That’s Wooloo. He’s my partner. I’m, uh…I'm Hop, by the way.” The human said, tentatively holding out his hand.

“I’m Rico.” Rico said, leaning in for a polite sniff.

Hop gave him a weird look before bursting out laughing. Rico didn’t get it. What was so funny about his name?

“Sorry.” Hop said between giggles. “It’s just…you ever heard of a handshake, mate?”

“Handshake?” Now that Rico thought about it, wasn’t that some sort of greeting? He saw other humans shake hands in greeting and after battles. “Oh!”

He grabbed Hop’s hand and shook vigorously, Hop’s entire body jarred by the force of it. 

“So Rico, what are you doing in the Slumbering Weald? I can tell you’re not from around here and not just because of… how you look. Your accent is way off.”

“I fell out of a taxi.”

“You _what!?_ ” Hop looked at him incredulously. “A flying taxi? How did you survive that?”

Rico flexed his wings, drawing Hop’s attention to them. “Actually, nevermind. I think I have an idea.”

“It sure wasn’t easy.” Rico said. “That storm nearly tore ‘em off my back! I crashed into a bunch of trees and ended up here.”

“Where were you coming from, anyway?”

“The Isle of Armor. I was a student at the dojo there.”

Hop’s eyes lit up at the mention of the Isle. It was kind of cute.

“The Isle of Armor? That’s wicked, mate! That’s where my brother trained too!”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah! Lee! He’s the Champion of the entire Galar region! You haven’t heard of him?”

Rico shook his head. 

“Oh, you don’t know what you’re missing!” Hop stood up and grabbed Rico by his shirt sleeve, trying to tug him along. “C’mon! I want to show you something.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Rico makes a new friend and learns a little more about the Galar region, becoming particularly infatuated with a certain someone. By the way, I have a few more scraps of art featuring the dragons, so if anyone is interested in seeing more of them...

“Listen,” Hop said as he led Rico out of the foggy Slumbering Weald, Wooloo trailing behind, “I’m sorry I screamed in your face earlier. The Slumbering Weald is rumored to be home to scary powerful Pokémon and legendary monsters. So when I saw you standing there like that, with your wings spread and those horns of yours and your tail just…there, I guess I thought you were going to, like, eat me or something.”

“Eat you?” Rico was taken aback. “Gross! Who'd wanna eat a human? That’s disgusting!”

“Okay, sorry!” Hop threw up his hands in a placating gesture. “I haven’t met any other dragon people before. I don’t know how they do what they do.”

Rico snorted, Hop watching fascinated as small plumes of smoke curled out of his nostrils.

“So are there other dragon people on the Isle of Armor? I don’t think Lee ever mentioned seeing trainers with wings.”

“No, I’m the only one. I’m actually from-” Rico remembered Mustard’s advice not to mention his origin. “I’m from another region.”

“That’s not surprising. Lee said that trainers came from all over to train at the dojo. Which region are you from? Hoenn? Unova? You kind of sound like Bill. He’s a researcher from the Kanto region. Did you know he’s famous for accidentally fusing himself with a Pokémon?”

Rico didn’t know how to respond. He was familiar with those regions, but only through the games. “I don’t remember, but one of those sound familiar.”

“What? How can you not remember where you’re from?”

 _It’s more likely than you’d think,_ Rico thought. “Hey, I don’t even remember how I ended up on the Isle of Armor. Mr. Mustard found me there. He says I probably have amnesia.”

“Amnesia, huh?” Hop mused. “Geez, that must suck. I hope you get your memories back if that’s the case.”

“Thanks, Hop.”

Hop pondered for a minute before asking another question. “So, how old are you?”

“I just turned 6, but I think in human years that’s about 12.”

“12? Cool! Then we’re the same age!”

Hop paused in front of a small gate to open it. Rico had been so absorbed with Hop he barely noticed how much the landscape had changed around him. The Weald was behind them at this point and the fog had cleared. The area they were now in was still heavily rural. A few houses were scattered about, separated by huge fields in which several Wooloo rolled about. The whole area was clearly farmland. Rico breathed it all in deep. Damp soil, fresh hay, grass, manure, wildflowers. All brought forth a sense of nostalgia he couldn’t explain.

“Welcome to Postwick.” Hop said. “My house is at the base of this hill here. Hey, I’ll race you there!”

Rico smirked, eyes narrowing. “Bet I could beat ya there.” He took off before Hop could get another word in.

“Hey!”

Hop charged after Rico, but the dragon was faster. He was snickering by Hop’s mailbox by the time Hop caught up. “You little sneak!”

“You’re the one that wanted to race!” Rico said, grinning smugly.

Hop playfully shoved his shoulder and walked up to his front door.

“Wait!”

Hop glanced over his shoulder at Rico, noting how nervous he suddenly looked, tail twitching.

“What is it?”

Rico sighed. “I can’t be seen like this.”

“Like what?” Hop asked.

Rico stared at him dryly and gestured to all of himself, spreading his wings for emphasis.

“Oh, I see. I guess going around looking like that would be scary to people. I mean, you sure scared me. Hey, how’s this?”

Hop shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over Rico’s shoulders. Rico was stunned for a second before tucking his wings in and quickly slipping his arms through the sleeves. It really was as cozy as it looked. It took all his self-control not to bury his nose into the fabric and take a deep inhale. 

“Okay, that takes care of the wings, but…” Hop started.

Rico stopped drowning in the wondrous warmth of the jacket to process Hop’s words.

“Hmm…? Oh, I can hide my tail.”

Hop blinks, and when he opens his eyes Rico’s tail is gone. Just like that. “Okay, and the horns?”

Rico reached into the back pocket of his shorts. Hop watched as he pulled out a patterned gray beanie and slipped it over his head.

“I was afraid I lost it to the wind yesterday.” Rico said. “I’m glad I remembered to put it away.”

From this perspective, with his head and wings covered and his tail just…gone, Hop has to admit Rico could pass for human fairly easily. He has to wonder why the only feature Rico can make disappear is his tail. 

“So why don’t you hide your wings and horns like you did your tail?”

“I can’t. At least not yet. I’m still learnin’ how to do this properly.”

“Is your tail just invisible or is it actually gone?”

“It’s gone. If I sat on a chair or somethin’ I’m not gonna feel it squished up against my butt if that’s what you’re askin’.”

Hop laughed. “Okay. If you’re good now, let’s head inside.”

He opened the door (Rico wondered if anyone locked their doors in this world) and called out, “Mum, I’m home!”

An older woman with similar dark hair to Hop emerged from the kitchen.

“Hello, dear. Oh, who is this?”

“Hello ma’am.” Rico said, trying to be polite.

“This is my new friend, Rico. He came from the Isle of Armor.” Hop explained.

Rico internally preened at hearing Hop call him a friend already.

“Is that so?” Hop’s mother looked over Rico with renewed interest. “That’s where Leon trained many years ago. Tell me, is Mustard still running the dojo?”

“Oh yeah! He sure is! I didn’t even know he was the dojo master when I got there. He’s tough but real nice too, and he taught me all about how to be a trainer. I was training there myself for a while before I left. And he has a really nice wife named Honey and she cooks amazing food and they have a chi- I mean kid named Hyde and he makes all kinds of cool inventions and before I left he was workin’ on this charm thing he said would give Pokémon more experience in battles but didn’t have the watts to make it work so-”

“Okay, Rico, I think she gets it.” Hop said, clapping a hand over Rico’s shoulder. Rico winced, thinking he annoyed them with his rambling, but Hop was smiling when Rico looked at him.

“Sorry.”

Hop’s mother smiled too. “There’s no need to apologize for being enthusiastic.”

“So anyway, can he spend the night?” Hop asked. “He just got into town and doesn’t have anywhere to stay.”

“W-wha-…I, Hop!” Rico sputtered.

“Well, do you?”

“Not really.”

“So can he stay? Please?” Hop clasped his hands together and looked up at his mother. Rico recognized the look, all wide-eyed and pleading. He’d use that same look to get what he wanted several times before.

“I suppose so. If you don’t mind him staying in your room.” Hop’s mother said.

“Yes!” Hop tucked his Wooloo under one arm, grabbed Rico’s hand with the other, and dragged him inside. “I record all of Lee’s matches so we can watch them in my room if you want.”

He headed upstairs and pulled Rico into the first room on the right, setting Wooloo down as he did. Rico took a curious look around. The carpet was green with a big greener rug right in the center of the room. Against one wall there was a small wooden desk with a picture of Hop posing with a taller human in a hat. Posters of Pokémon Rico recognized as Gengar, Machamp, and Charizard were situated over a small television. And of course, there was a bed in the corner next to a window with yellow curtains.

Overall it was cozy, colorful and very, very flammable. Rico had to be careful not to sneeze.

Hop picked up a remote from the TV stand and fiddled with it. 

“By the way, do you have a change of clothes? You’re soaked to the bone, mate.”

Rico just now seemed to remember he spent a better part of the day lying in wet grass during a rainstorm. He shivered a little.

“Nope. These are the only clothes I got. I had a jacket, but I lost it in the storm this morning.”

“No problem then.” Hop said, setting down the remote and opening a wardrobe in the corner. “You can borrow some of mine. We’re about the same size, I think.”

In any other situation Rico would have been suspicious of all this generosity, but by know he understood it’s just how humans rolled in this world. “Thanks.”

Rico took off Hop’s jacket and, not knowing where to put it, draped it over the desk chair. He struggled to get the shirt he was wearing off. He had cuts slits in the back for his wings to fit through a while back. It was great so his wings could be free if he needed them, but it made it difficult to remove. After nearly having to tear it off his frame to get it off, he went to grab his shorts when Hop interrupted.

“What are you doing!?”

Rico cocked his head. “I’m changin’.”

“You can’t just-! Rico!” Hop shoved a handful of garments into Rico’s arms and pushed him out of the room. “Use the bathroom to change!”

Hop points out a door opposite the stairs before closing the door to his own room. Rico shrugged, must be a human thing. Once in the bathroom, Rico closed the door behind him and regarded the clothes Hop lent him. A simple black shirt. Similar to what Hop was wearing, but without the purple highlights. Would Hop mind if he cut some holes in the back? He also provided Rico with a pair of dark blue pants with a flappy little white thing attached to one of the legs. 

Hop looked up from where he was sitting on his rug when Rico came back in the room carrying what was left of his wet clothes. He noticed Rico’s wings sticking out the back of his shirt. Hop internally groaned. Then again, he should have figured that Rico would need to make adjustments considering what he was. And it was an old shirt anyway so who cares if it now had gaping holes in the back?

“I don’t know what to do with the rest of this.” Rico said, holding out his stuff. 

“You can toss it in the basket in the corner there. It’ll get added to the laundry later.”

Rico nodded, and after depositing his things he came and sat next to Hop on the rug. Wooloo was currently snoozing in Hop’s bed.

“So will I ever get to see you change?”

Rico narrowed his eyes at Hop.

“I thought ya made me go in the bathroom so ya didn’t have to see me change.”

“No, I mean change into a dragon. Can you fly? How big are you when you’re a dragon? Should you do it outside? You can do that, right?”

Rico’s wings drooped. “I can’t. I mean, I should be able to, but for some reason I can’t. I’ve been trying to turn back for days but for some reason I’m stuck like this.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that….” Hop fidgeted awkwardly for a few seconds before reaching for the remote. “Uh, did you still want to watch Lee’s matches?”

Rico was happy for the distraction. “Sure.”

Hop flipped on the TV and started up the most recent match he had recorded.

Rico swore his heart leapt into his crop as soon as he laid eyes on Champion Leon. The man was passionate, handsome, and very well-built! Golden eyes much like Hop’s own, long flowing purple hair, a smile that could rival the power of a light dragon. Holy mackerel, is this what a human deity looks like? This. _This_ is why dragons used to kidnap humans centuries ago. Who wouldn’t want such an amazing treasure all to themselves? Leon commanded his Charizard in battle with such confidence. And the first time Rico saw those muscles flex as Leon supersized his Pokéball and just straight yeeted it behind himself…

He hoped Hop didn’t hear his low purring. 

“See that?” Hop asked, excitedly pointing at the enormous flaming fire lizard on the screen. “That’s called Dynamaxing! It’s a special way to battle here in the Galar region! It makes a Pokemon’s size increase drastically, and all their moves become these powerful Max Moves!”

“That’s awesome!” Rico glanced over at the drowsing Wooloo on Hop’s bed. “Can Wooloo do that too?”

“You need a Dynamax band to do that, so no, not yet.” Hop said. “But just you wait! I’m going to get my own Dynamax band, enter the Gym Challenge, and then I’m going to beat my brother in the Championship Match!”

“Great! So you’re gonna get a water-type then?” Rico asked.

“Huh?”

“I’m guessin’ Wooloo ain’t a water-type. And a water-type would have an advantage over Charizard.”

“There’s more to battling than type advantages, Rico. I mean, look at Lee’s Charizard. It’s beaten rock and water Pokémon before despite being at a disadvantage.”

“Yeah, but his Charizard also knows Solarbeam. That’s a grass-type move that gives him an advantage over rock and water-types.”

Hop took a moment to think about it. Rico did have a point.

“Well, it’s something I’ll have to consider then. Oh, by the way! Lee is going to visit in a few days, and he always brings presents. I could ask him to get you a Pokémon if you want.”

“I have a Pokémon.” Rico said. He stood up and wandered to the basket and pulled out his shorts, turning them over and shaking them out. Hop watched as a Pokéball, Rotom phone, and a few red sparks fell out of the pockets.

“You have a Rotom phone?”

“Yep.” Rico picked the Pokéball and held it up. “C’mon out, Skewer!”

In a flash of blue light, an Axew stood up in Hop’s room and stretched. “Yew…”

“You have an Axew? That’s pretty rare, mate.” Hop got up to get a closer look, but jerked back when Axew tried to bite him.

“Skewer! NO! Hop is a friend!” Rico scolded the Axew and turned to Hop. “Sorry. He’s a little nervous around people ever since I rescued him from poachers.”

“You battled poachers?” Hop looked incredulous.

“The other students did, actually.” Rico admitted while scratching Skewer’s horn. “We let go most of the Pokémon they had, but Mr. Mustard said I could keep Skewer.”

“Skewer. You like nicknaming your Pokémon, huh?”

“Don’t you?”

Hop shook his head. “Well, Lee doesn’t really nickname his Pokémon, so…”

“Wait, this whole time you’ve been calling that sheep, Wooloo,” Rico poked Wooloo on the bed, rousing him from his nap, “you’ve just been callin’ him what he is?”

“It’s not really necessary to name them-”

“But it’s fun!” Rico insisted. “And it helps tell ‘em apart. How wouldja tell your Wooloo apart from all the Wooloo in this area?”

“He has a tag.” Hop reached into Wooloo’s wool to reveal a tag attached to a collar that was otherwise completely hidden.

“What if no one knew to look for it? How would ya get him back?”

“He’s been brought back before-”

“And it’s boring calling them by their species anyway.” Rico cut Hop off. “I mean, could ya imagine if I was a dragon and my name was also ‘Dragon?’ Or if your name was ‘Human’ ‘cause you’re a human?”

Hop snorted. “Okay, you make a good point. It’s something else I’ll consider.”

“I’m pretty good at comin’ up with names if ya want help.” Rico said. “For example, your Wooloo could be named…hmmm…ooh! How about Lambchop?”

“MEEEEH!” Wooloo leapt off the bed and ran from the room.

“Wooloo!” Hop called after it, then turned to glare at Rico. “Why would you suggest a name like _that_?”

Rico shrugged. “It was either that or Mutton.”

“Thanks for the ideas I guess, but I think I’ll come up with a name on my own.” Hop said. “ _If_ I choose to nickname my Pokémon.”

“Which you should.” 

Hop was going to say something else, but a loud rumble surprised the three of them. “Woah, what was that?”

Rico clutched his gut, embarrassed.

“That came from your stomach?” Hop chuckled. “It’s about dinnertime I suppose.” 

“Is it okay for me to-”

“You’re staying the night, Rico. That includes dinner. C’mon, let’s get something to eat downstairs. You can borrow my jacket again.” 

Rico followed Hop down. He didn’t care what they were eating, he’d happily scarf down whatever they put on his plate. As they crossed through the living room, Rico caught sight of a purple cat lounging on the couch.

“So I think we’re having curry for dinner…. Rico?” Hop turned around to see Rico staring intently at his mum’s Purrloin. “Wait, Rico, that’s not-”

Rico makes a beeline right for the Purrloin, causing it to yowl and dart up the nearest shelf.

“Rico!” Hop grabbed Rico’s arm and pulled him back. “My mum’s Purrloin isn’t for eating!”

“I just wanted to pet it…”

“You wanted to…seriously?” How many times was this dragon going to make Hop laugh today? “Sorry, but Purrloin is a little standoffish around strangers.”

Rico was still pouting a little until they made it to the kitchen. Upon seeing the rest of Hop’s family, he stiffened for a minute before relaxing.

“Hello there.” A lady even older than Hop’s mother sat at the dinner table alongside an older gentleman and Hop’s mother. “You must be Hop’s friend, Rico.”

“Hello ma’am, sir, miss.” Rico greeted each in turn. “It’s nice to meet y’all.”

“So polite.” The man commented. “Maybe you could teach our little Hop here some etiquette.”

Hop’s face began to redden. The sight of it was so cute, Rico wanted to nuzzle against his cheek. 

They sat down at the table and when a huge steaming plate of sweet-smelling curry was placed in front of him Rico almost dove in head-first. He barely restrained himself when he remembered his place and carefully picked up a spoon. Using utensils was not completely foreign to him, not even when he was a dragon. 

Rico was the first to finish. Everyone else were still working on their plates when Hop announced he was full.

“You’re not gonna finish that?” Rico asked, eyeing what was left.

Hop glanced at the plate, then at Rico. “…Did you want it?”

Rico nodded eagerly. Hop’s family watched as he began to scarf down another half plate.

“Your friend has… quite the appetite.” The gentleman noted.

“He hasn’t eaten all day, so I think he was pretty hungry.” Hop explained. Rico barely acknowledged him, busy with his second helping. 

When dinner was over, the Pokémon all fed, and the dishes helped put away, Rico followed Hop back to his room. Rico returned the jacket to its place on the chair as Hop came in carrying a pile of blankets in with him.

“Sorry. There’s only one bed. Lee’s room is across the hall, but I don’t think it would be appropriate to-”

“No problem.” Rico smiled. “I got everything I need right here.”

He took the pile of blankets and dropped them on the floor, pushing and nudging at them until they made a suitable nest. Then he stood, turned a circle, and plopped right down in the center, immediately curling up and tucking his wings against his back. Rico’s Axew pushed its way under his arm and snuggled against his trainer.

Okay, that was kind of cute. 

“Night, Rico.” Hop said, climbing into bed and cuddling with his own Pokémon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice a pattern to Rico's nicknaming yet?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon finally makes his in-person appearance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kind words so far. I'm glad this silly little thing is getting attention.

_The first thing he registered from outside his cell were voices._

_“You’re sure it was a good idea to separate them?”_

_“If it keeps them docile.”_

_Scourge. Where was Scourge?_

_“I’m still not sure if I agree with this…”_

_“You don’t have to. You just have to do your job and stay out of the way.”_

_Why were they doing this?_

_“Let’s just get this over with.”_

_There was a click, a strange beeping noise, and he shrieked as it felt like something was being forcefully drained from his body._

_It hurt. It hurt! IT HURT!_

_“You have to get him out of here!”_

_What’s going on? Where was he now?_

_“Why does it have to be me?”_

_“You’re his best chance! I can’t risk going back! Just take this one and hurry!”_

_Something grabbed him and took off._

_No please! Stop! He wants to go home!_

Rico woke with stifled yelp. He looked around frantically. Where was he? It took a second for him to realize he was in Hop’s bedroom and that he’s lying on warm blankets, not a cold, hard floor. He rolled onto his back and tried to even out his breathing. That was some nightmare. After a few minutes, it became clear that he wasn’t going back to sleep. He slowly got up as to not wake Skewer and decided to walk around for a bit. As long as he didn’t wake Hop or Wooloo while he was at it. In fact, maybe he’d creep downstairs and get a little snack. Eating would help calm him down. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice if he raided their fridge. He carefully stepped out of the room and paused when he saw the door on the other side of the hall. Champion Leon was Hop’s brother, right? And didn’t Hop say Leon’s room was right across the hall?

He crept over, testing each step he made to make sure they wouldn’t creak. The door was slightly ajar, so he simply pushed it open. The room was neat and tidy. No books or material on the desk in the corner, just a small picture frame. There was some sort of exercise machine on the other side of the room with the weights stacked in order of size. The waste baskets were empty. The bed was perfectly made with no wrinkles in the sheets. 

It was clear no one had lived in here for an awfully long time. Rico took a quick whiff of the air. It smelled stale, confirming his observation. He examined the room a little more. He wasn't going to take anything, he just wanted to know more about this Leon person. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt like he had seen him before. Before Hop even showed him those recordings. The next thing he noticed were the hats. There were hats everywhere. On shelves, stacked on boxes, on pegs on the walls over the bed and desk. Who needed this many hats? Was it a human thing to hoard hats, or was it unique to Leon?

The last thing he checked was the bookcase. There were a few magazines with guys Rico didn’t recognize or really care about. He checked some of the books covers on the shelf, but quickly determined they weren’t worth trying to read. They looked too hard to understand, and reading was hard enough as it was. 

Rico was disappointed. This little investigation told him nothing about Leon except for how much he likes hats. At least he was feeling a little calmer. He decided to head back to Hop’s room, carefully closing Leon’s door behind him. He crawled back into his blanket nest, Skewer unconsciously drawing in closer. He felt like he could go back to sleep now. He dragged part of a blanket over himself and tucked in his wings for the second time that night.

************

Hop woke up to sunlight streaming on his face. He should have closed the curtains last night. He stretched while absentmindedly petting his Wooloo, then rolled over. He was confused for a second at the pile of blankets he saw on his rug, but was reminded of their purpose by the yellow and red spotted tail that poked out between the layers. Ah, that’s right. He brought home a dragon yesterday.

Hop suddenly sat up straight, jostling his Wooloo and causing him to bleat irritably. 

He brought home a dragon. A dragon was inside his room. Not a dragon-type. An actual dragon!

A slight movement caught his eye. The dragon had begun to stir. He pushed the covers off of him, yawned, then reached out across the floor as far as he could, wings fully extended overhead and trembling a little.

There is a dragon in Hop’s room and he is stretching like his mum’s Purrloin. 

Rico sat up and shook Skewer’s side until the Axew woke as well. He then looked up at Hop.

“Mornin’, Hop.”

“Hey, how’d you sleep?”

“I think...I remembered somethin’ last night.”

“Really? What was it?”

Rico’s eyes suddenly widened. He stuck his nose in the air and took a few quick sniffs.

“PANCAKES!”

He leapt out of the blankets and rushed to the door.

“Rico, wait!” Hop jumped out of bed, grabbed his jacket, and ran after the dragon. “You’re exposed!” He managed to grab the dragon by the tail before he could rush down the hall. Rico whirled around and snapped, causing Hop to yap and jerk back.

Rico’s eyes were immediately remorseful. “Aw crap! I’m sorry, Hop! I just-”

“No it’s fine.” Hop said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Hop handed Rico the jacket. Rico mumbled a thank you and slipped it on. “I gotta get my own jacket. I can’t keep usin’ yours.” Rico reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his beanie.

“Hey, maybe we can go to Wedgehurst and find something. Do you have any money?”

“I have watts. Can I use those?”

“Sorry mate, but the shops in Wedgehurst don’t accept watts. But, hey, if you want to trade some of your watts, I’ll give you some Pokédollars. Watts are hard to come by in Postwick.”

Rico nodded. “And then we can get pancakes!”

Rico pulled out all the watts he had left, which was a good 4,000. Hop traded him ₽2,000 for half of it. They then went downstairs with their Pokémon to eat. Rico greeted Hop’s grandparents again as he sat down. After breakfast, Rico asked if there was anything he could do to help around the house.

“I don’t wanna freeload. If there’s anything y’all need help with, I’ll happily oblige.”

“Well, I’m short on ingredients for the next few meals.” Hop’s mother said. “Would you like to accompany Hop to the market in Wedgehurst?”

Rico shared a look with Hop and grinned. After receiving some more money from Hop’s mother, they burst out of the house to get started on their tasks.

“Hey Hop, who lives up there?” Rico pointed at the small cottage on the top of the hill, near the gate that lead to the Slumbering Weald.

“No one. The family that used to live there moved out years ago. It’s been empty since.”

“Ooooh. Let’s go check it out.”

“No way! That house is probably full of ghost-types and Joltik!”

“Joltik? Those fuzzy yellow spiders? I wanna see a Joltik!”

“Some other time, mate.” Hop took Rico by the arm and lead him up the route to Wedgehurst. It was a short path, but it was currently blocked by a pile of sleeping Wooloo.

“Aw, looks like we’re going to have to take the long way around.” Hop said.

Rico roared. It sounded like a combination of a Charizard’s cry and a train screeching to a stop. Hop had to cover his ears. The woken Wooloo all bleated in panic and scattered.

“Rico!”

Rico turned to look at Hop and slightly crumpled under his disapproving gaze.

“What? No more Wooloo on the path now.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“You just can’t! No terrifying Wooloo. Or any other Pokémon. It’s not okay.”

Rico looked like he still didn’t understand what was wrong with what he did, but he nodded anyway. Hop shook his head and continued on to Wedgehurst. He bought the food needed from the market and even grabbed a few Pecha berries as a snack, having to hold Rico at arm’s length to keep him from eating them all. Hop then pointed out the boutique to Rico, telling him that he could buy clothes there.

“What passes for normal around here?” Rico asked.

“Normal?”

“You know, something that says, ‘I’m definitely not a dragon pretendin’ to be human.’”

“All the clothes in this store are pretty basic. It won’t be hard to get something inconspicuous.”

“Anything else I should get?”

“Hmm, you might want to get a bag too. Maybe some new shoes.”

Rico went on in. A few people looked up upon hearing the door chime, but went right back to browsing. He walked around the store, looking at what was for sale. He hoped he’d find something red. He liked red. Hop stepped in after a while, noting Rico was taking a long time.

“Here, try this.” He handed Rico a red polo shirt and a pair of brown boots. Rico also picked up a gray hoodie and took the clothes to the clerk, asking if he could try them on. He later stepped out of the dressing room wearing the red polo and the hoodie, carrying the clothes he just took off.

“Looking sharp, mate.” Hop said.

Rico grinned, preening under the attention. “Really? I like red, so the shirt's nice. And the hoodie looks like my hat. S’comfy too.”

“You still need a bag.”

Rico grabbed the first bag he saw, a brown leather one with some frayed edges. When asked why that one, Rico just shrugged. 

“Hope that’s not too big for you to carry.”

“I’m not a hatchling. I’ll be fine.”

The cost of everything was ₽1,800. It would have cost much more, but the bag was on sale for being bought and returned a few times. Rico insisted on paying it himself, Hop’s family had done so much to help him already. He returned Hop’s jacket and tried to return the black shirt, but Hop insisted Rico keep it. He couldn’t do much with it now that it had holes in the back.

Hop was still showing Rico around Wedgehurst, including pointing out the Pokémon Center.

“It’s where you can take your Pokémon when they’re sick or hurt. They’re dead easy to spot, too. They look the same wherever you go.”

“Should I take Skewer right now?”

“If he hasn’t been in any battles lately, it isn’t really necessary unless you want to bring him in for a checkup.”

Hop then challenged Rico to a race back to Postwick. He easily beat Rico this time due to Rico being not used to the weight of a bag on his back. It only held his old clothes at the moment, but he wondered how heavy it would get once packed with supplies. He could carry it fine, he was a dragon after all, but was a bit concerned about the pressure it might put on his wings. 

After the boys delivered the food to Hop’s mom, Hop suggested they train their Pokémon a bit near the fields. Considering Skewer hadn’t got a chance to come out of his ball since that morning, Rico readily agreed.

“So did ya think of a name yet?” Rico asked as Hop let Wooloo out of his ball.

“I told you I might not even do it.”

“So ya haven’t thought of one?”

“…no.”

“How about Marshmallow? He’s fluffy like one.”

“Could you imagine me sending out my Pokémon yelling ‘Go, Marshmallow!’ No one would take that seriously.”

“What about Oreo? He’s brown and white like the cookie.”

Hop laughed. “Is everything about food with you?”

After dark they headed back inside for dinner, and before bed Rico introduced Hop to the café game and took a certain mischievous glee at Hop’s frustration with the levels. That night, Rico curled into his nest and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The next three days went by quickly. Rico fell into the familiar routine of it. He’d get up, eat, ask if there was anything he could help with, train with Hop, eat again, run the occasional errand, eat again, and head off to bed. It almost felt like home in a way, vaguely reminding him of a dragon he shared a similar routine with.

Now that Rico had the time to do so, he really took notice of the living room. There were trophies stacked over the fireplace, medals hanging off the walls, and pictures of this Leon were everywhere. Purrloin stopped avoiding him, even allowing him to pet her once. 

Early on the morning of the fourth day, Hop leapt out of bed, squealing excitedly that it was the day Leon was going to be visiting. Rico groaned, understanding of Hop’s enthusiasm, he was looking forward to meeting the ~~god-like being~~ human himself, but wished he could have slept in a little longer.

“C’mon Rico! I can’t wait for you to meet Lee! I told him all about you over the phone. Well, not all the dragon bits, but still!”

Rico tucked his head under a wing. “Five more minutes, Scourge…”

“Huh, who’s that?” Without actually waiting for a response, Hop tugged at Rico’s arm until the dragon finally sat up. “C’mon already!”

It took a good ten minutes to get the dragon all the way up. Hop rushed to get ready and was already down the stairs before Rico could blink.

By the time Rico caught up, Hop was badgering his mom on Leon’s whereabouts.

“Mum! Is Lee here? Have you got him crammed in a cupboard?”

The mental image of that caused Rico to snort.

“He’s still not here yet! Honestly Hop, you must learn some patience.” Hop’s mom looked a little exasperated. “He’s probably only just arrived at the station in Wedgehurst.”

“Then that’s where I’m going! You know Lee is hopeless with directions. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get lost on the way.”

“But the way to Wedgehurst from here is so short.” Rico said. “It’s practically a straight line.”

Hop laughed. “You don’t know the half of it, mate.”

“It probably is for the best.” Hop’s mother contemplated. 

“You’ve got to come with me, Rico. You’ve never met my big bro, and you can’t miss out on your chance to meet the undefeated Champion!”

_If this means getting to see that golden-eyed dreamboat up close and personal…_

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

He and Hop burst out of the house to Hop’s mother’s amusement. There were no Wooloo blocking the path this time as the boys raced to Wedgehurst. As they crossed the bridge, Rico saw that huge crowd of people had gathered around Wedgehurst station. 

“How are we supposed to find Lee like this?” Hop lamented. 

Rico looked over Hop for a minute, sizing him up before hugging Hop around the waist and lifting him up with a grunt.

“Woah! Rico!”

“Do ya see your brother?”

Hop scanned over the sea of heads before a familiar shock of purple hair filled his vision.

“Over there!” Hop pointed.

Rico put Hop down and they maneuvered through the crowd until they were close enough to see the Champion.

Leon. In all his glory. Charizard by his side. Smiling at the cheering crowd before posing with three of his fingers up in the air. The Charizard pose, Hop had told him.

Rico could feel his heartbeat quicken.

“Hello, hello, Wedgehurst!” Leon’s rich voice announced. “Your Champion, Leon, is back!”

Scratch that, Rico’s heart just _stopped_.

“I promise I’ll keep doing my best to deliver the greatest battles for you all to watch!”

The crowd uproared in cheers.

_“It’s our unbeatable champion!”_

_“Leon, you are the greatest!”_

Hop grinned. “Isn’t he the coolest?”

He glanced at Rico when he didn’t get a response. “Rico?”

Rico stood dumbstruck, pupils wide and unblinking. Hop snapped his fingers in Rico’s face as if to undo him from a trance, but still received no response. When he placed a hand on Rico’s shoulder, he swore he could feel the dragon rumbling under him.

“Rico!” Hop shook him out of it. Rico stumbled back and snapped his attention to Hop.

“Huh? What happened?”

“I hope you’ll all carry on training up your Pokémon and never shy from battle!” Leon continued on. “Then come challenge me for the Champion title!”

“We’re on it! We’ve all been working on our battle skills like you taught us!” The crowd shouted. “But that Charizard of yours is just too strong for the likes of us to take on.”

Leon tipped his head at the compliment.

“Too true that Charizard is blazingly strong. But other Pokémon can be strong as well. That’s why I want the strongest of challengers to fill the Gym Challenge and come battle me! My wish is for Galar’s trainers to become the strongest in all the world!”

Leon’s Charizard roared in agreement.

“Lee!” Hop took to jumping and waving his arms to catch Leon’s attention. At the sight of his little brother, Leon’s face lit up even brighter than before.

“Hop! So my number one fan in all the world has come out of his way to pick me up!” The crowd parted as Leon made his way over.

As he approached Hop, Rico noticed something about Leon. He carried himself with the upmost confidence. The fleet around him seemed to worship him. He was even dressed like a freaking king, what with his fancy fur cape and hat with a crown printed on it. Despite all this, he didn’t have air of an alpha about him. For that reason Rico felt no need to keep his head down, staring at the man unabashedly. 

“Look at you Hop. I reckon you’ve grown…” Leon tilts his head and squints a bit, “exactly an inch and a quarter since I last saw you!”

“Bingo! That’s the type of sharp eye that’s kept you undefeated so long, eh, Lee?” Hop said.

It was then Leon turned his attention to Rico. “And these bright eyes over here…”

For a second, Rico swore he saw something flicker over Leon’s face. Something like recognition that quickly morphed into shock. Before Rico could be sure, Leon had schooled his expression back into his crowd-pleasing smile.

“I’ve got it! You must be Rico – am I right? I’ve heard loads about you from my little brother.”

“Uhhh…….” _Smooth Rico. Why don’t ya just roll over and beg for a belly rub?_

“I’m the Galar region’s greatest-ever Pokémon Champion – and a massive Charizard fan, too.” Leon said. “People call me the unbeatable Leon!”

Rico straightened as Leon got closer. “P-pleased to meet you, sir!” 

Hop looked between both of them and grinned. C’mon, Lee! And you too, Rico! Bet I can beat the both of you back home!” 

And with that he raced off.

“Hey, no fair!” Rico called after him, running to catch up.

Leon chuckled lightly. “That Hop, always wanting to be the best. With a proper rival of his own, I bet he’d push himself to become something truly special…”

Leon turned back to the crowd and posed one final time.

“Well everyone! I bid you farewell for today! But don’t you fret. I’ll always be around to make sure everyone in Galar can have a champion time!”

The crowd slowly began to disperse as Leon turned to the boys. As he watched Hop and Rico race each other back to Postwick, the smile slipped off of Leon’s face. He quickly pulled out his phone, firing off a text before following.

L: It’s still alive.

Stretchy Dragon!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if the starter Pokemon didn't like you at first?

There were back in Hop’s yard, standing in front of the shed, as Rico watched Hop pester his brother.

“C’mon Lee! You promised a present! So out with it! You brought us Pokémon, didn’t you? I know you must have!”

It made him feel nostalgic. He was beginning to remember why.

_Ya got me the game? Ya did, didn’t you? You’re the best!_

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Leon’s laughter.

“Right then! The greatest gift from the greatest Champion. It’s showtime everyone!”

Leon pulled out three Pokéballs and tossed them into the air.

“Take a good look, you two!”

Three Pokémon popped out of the balls that Rico had never seen. A little green monkey climbed the tree in Hop’s front yard and started hitting a berry with a stick while a blue lizard leapt into the pond in front of it, squirting water. A red and white rabbit started racing in circles around the small arena in the yard, leaving scorch marks under its feet. Rico stared, fascinated.

Things took a turn, however, when the lizard squirted the rabbit. It began to panic, leaping haphazardly around the yard before banging its head on the underside of the branch the monkey was on. This caused its berry to fall into the pond, startling the lizard and causing it to rush back onto land and cry. The monkey climbed down and began tapping its stick in front of the lizard, calming it. The rabbit approached as well, hopping in place and causing the lizard to laugh a little.

“Alright, line up everyone!” Leon said. The three Pokémon quickly arranged themselves on the small arena. Leon then introduced each Pokémon to the boys.

“The grass-type Pokémon Grookey. It’s soothing – like a nice, long walk in the woods."

The monkey let out an excited cry as it tapped its stick.

The fire-type Scorbunny. It’s filled to bursting with a fiery passion!"

The rabbit hopped in place and put its paws on its hips.

"And that’s the water-type Sobble. It adapts to anything, as surely as water flows."

The lizard looked up and gave a nervous smile.

Hop nudged Rico in the side. “I already know which one I’m getting. Do you want to pick firs-”

“I want the fire rabbit!” Rico rushed up to Scorbunny and reached out to touch it. The Pokémon did not share his enthusiasm, kicking his hand away.

Leon winced. “You sure you want that one? He can be a little… intense.”

“Scor!” Scorbunny glowered at Rico, thumping his foot and making small sparks of flame. He was a spitfire, that was for sure.

“Yup! He’s perfect!”

“Looks like you’re going to have your hands full with that one.” Hop snickered as he moved to select his own Pokémon next. “Then I’ll go with…Sobble! You’re mine!”

Rico glanced over at Hop as he bent down to pick the blue lizard. So Hop was taking his advice and getting a water-type after all. Good on him.

“I’m aiming to be the next Champion, so be ready!” Hop told Sobble as he cradled it in his arms. “You and I’ll be doing some serious training.” His Wooloo bleated in agreement.

Leon nodded, smiling at his brother. “I’m sure you will be, Hop. I hope the two of you will battle and train and grow stronger together.”

Grookey stood to the side, looking a little lost until Leon approached it. “And you’ll come with me! Charizard will show you the ropes. He’s strict – but real strong and real kind too.” The Grookey’s eyes lit up in joy.

“All right, enough of this trainer nonsense for one night.” The three of them looked up to see Hop’s mother approach. “Dinner’s ready. Bring along your Pokémon and let’s all eat.”

It was Rico’s turn to light up as barbecue shish kebabs were brought out. Hop ran over and grabbed two skewers to show them to Leon and Rico, the latter who leaned over and took a bite out of the meat right off the stick.

“Oi! Isn’t that hot?” Hop asked. 

Rico nodded. “It sure is!”

Leon watched the interaction curiously. Hop seemed pretty close to this Rico in the few days he had known him. Did they really become friends that quickly? Hop also showed no fear of him, laughing and joking and holding his second skewer out of reach when Rico made a playful grab for it. As Rico went to get one for himself, Leon pulled Hop aside.

“Hey Hop. Can I ask you a few questions about your friend?”

“What about him?” Hop asked, taking a bite of food.

“Have you noticed anything…unusual about him?”

Hop almost choked on his food. “L-like what, exactly?”

“Well, um, where did he even come from?”

“Oh, he’s from the Isle of Armor. He’s one of Mustard’s students.”

“He’s a student? Seriously?”

“Yeah, his phone even has the dojo ID loaded on it.”

“But have you noticed anything else? Has he ever, say, gotten aggressive with you?”

“Well, there was this one time…”

Leon tensed. If Rico had done anything to his little brother…

“He got really mad when I beat his high score in that café puzzle game.” Hop said.

Leon sputtered in relief and surprise. “That’s it?”

Rico rejoined them shortly after, and Leon stepped away to get his own serving.

“It’s so great seeing Hop with his new friend.” His mother said.

“I suppose so.” Leon risked a glance back to see Rico and Hop offering some of their food to their Pokémon. Was that an Axew? “He seems happy. By the way, where has… Rico been staying these past few days?”

“He’s been staying with us.”

Leon nearly dropped his plate. “He’s been staying here? At this house? _Inside_?”

“Well, we certainly weren’t about to make him sleep in the shed. And he’s been nothing but helpful.” 

Leon glanced over at the boys a second time. Hop had his Sobble perched on his shoulder while Rico was trying to grab his Scorbunny, who seemed determined to stay out of his reach.

“How much longer will he be here?”

“I figured at least until he and Hop leave on their journey. You’re planning on endorsing them for the Gym Challenge right?”

“I was considering it for _Hop._ I didn’t plan on endorsing anyone else.”

He watched the young trainers until he finished his dinner and headed inside. Purrloin greeted him at the door as he carried his plate to the sink. He figured now that he might as well rest for a while; it’s been a long time since he’s been home after all. He passed through the living room and greeted his grandparents, who were watching a gameshow on TV.

Leon went upstairs after that, heading for his room. He dropped onto his bed with a sigh. It had been a long day, and he was not prepared for the surprise that awaited him when he reunited with his brother. 

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out to check.

R: When you say, “it’s still alive,” I’m assuming you mean…

L: I thought you said you lost him off the coast of Circhester.

R: I did! I didn’t think he’d survive that. Where is he right now?

L: Apparently living at my house.

R: YOU LET THAT THING IN YOUR HOUSE???

L: I didn’t! My family did. He appears to have bonded with Hop. He didn’t recognize me, or maybe he doesn’t remember, but I’m going to play it by ear for now, see how much he knows. I don’t want to trigger him in case he attacks. Not with Hop around.

R: Be careful.

Leon heard the boys tramp upstairs, then the sound of a door closing as they presumably went into Hop’s room. He tensed, but reminded himself that Rico had been here for the past few nights and hadn’t done anything but be “helpful.” He forced himself to relax. He only had two days off and didn’t want to spend them fretting. He finally settled down enough to lie fully on the bed, not even bothering to change, and fell into an exhausted sleep.

************

The next morning Hop and Rico were awaiting Leon as he exited the house. The excitement on Hop’s face drew a genuine smile out of him.

“You spent the whole night with that new partner of yours, right, Hop?” Leon asked. “Getting on alright? Understanding one another? Maybe even built up a little bit of love?”

Hop nodded. “Of course I have, Lee!”

Leon turned to Rico. “And you?”

Rico averted his eyes, reaching his arm back to scratch his neck. “Tajin’s still a work in progress.”

“Tajin?”

“Rico nicknames his Pokémon.” Hop replied. “He’s been trying to get me to do the same.”

“Oh really? Why Tajin then?”

“Tajin is a really tasty spice mix where I come from." Rico explained. "And since Scorbunny is a fire-type, I figured it would make sense to name him after something spicy!” 

This was clearly a subject Rico could go on about. 

“Nicknaming Pokémon is half the fun. I don’t get why more people don’t do it. Take your Charizard for example. You could be callin’ him-”

“Well okay then!” Leon clapped his hands together loudly. “Listen up new trainers! Believe in yourselves and your Pokémon! If you trust one another and carry on side by side long enough then someday you might even be worthy rivals for me, the unbeatable Champion.”

Hop snickered. “I thought Raihan was your one true rival.”

Leon was sure his face looked as red hot as it felt in that moment. Rico turned to Hop, head tilted curiously. “Who’s Raihan?”

Hop looked at Leon with a knowing grin. “He’s Lee’s-”

“Strongest rival!” Leon interrupted. “The only trainer who’s ever come close to beating the unbeatable Champion and the most skilled Gym Leader in the Galar region to boot!”

Rico still looked confused.

“Well anyway, if you think Rico has enough of a chance to challenge you, then I guess that makes him my first rival!” Hop turns to look at Rico, eyes blazing. “But I’m not planning on losing to you and miss out on my chance to beat Lee! Just having Pokémon with you doesn’t make you a real trainer, you know.”

Rico crossed his arms. “Really, now?”

“Yeah. Proper trainers raise their Pokémon to be first rate in battle, too.” Hop said.

“Oh, and you think you’re worthy of calling yourself such a proper trainer already, Hop?” Leon said, stepping between them. “I’ll be the judge of that! Let’s see how you handle yourself in a battle against your friend, if he’s up for it.”

Leon looked over his shoulder at Rico. “To clarify, a _Pokémon_ battle.”

“As opposed to what other kind of battle?” Hop asked.

Leon shook his head. “Nevermind. Believe in and care for your partner Pokémon with all your heart! Do these things, and learn to choose moves that suit your Pokémon, so you can have a champion time battling with them!”

Leon then led the boys to the small arena in Hop’s yard. “Everyone’s on board, Pokémon and trainers alike, right?” The boys nodded. “Any questions before we begin?”

Rico raised his hand. “Yeah, why do ya got check-marks on your chin?”

Hop burst out laughing while Leon self-consciously scratched his beard.

“I meant about the battle.”

“Oh! Then no, I’m good.”

Hop clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. “I’ve watched every match that Lee’s ever had! I’ve read every book and magazine he’s left at home too!”

Leon flushed. _Every_ magazine?

“I know exactly what to do in order to win!” Hop continued.

“We’ll see about that. I ain’t exactly a newbie at this!” Rico said, clutching a Pokéball. Did his pupils just get a little thinner? 

Hop sent out his Sobble at the same time Rico released Scorbunny. Or Tajin, as he insisted on calling him.

Leon saw Rico’s expression pinch. He seemed to know he was at a disadvantage. 

“Alright Tajin, use Quick Attack!”

Tajin ignored him, going for a Double Kick instead.

“Water Gun, Sobble!” 

Sobble spat out a burst of water, much stronger than the playful squirts they saw yesterday. It hit Tajin square in the chest, knocking back the rabbit. He stood up and shook himself off, looking angry.

“What’re ya doin’, Tajin? Use Quick Attack!”

Tajin ignored him again and tried to Tackle Sobble. Sobble managed to dodge with Hop’s direction and wrap Tajin in a Bind with his tail.

“Now use Pound!”

Sobble repeatedly slammed Tajin into the ground, then finished by tossing him aside.

“Water Gun one more time!”

Before Tajin could pick himself up, a blast of water knocked him over to the other side of the field. He collapsed in front of Rico and did not get up again.

“Looks like Tajin is unable to battle!” Leon announced.

Rico sighed as he returned Tajin to his ball. “Why don’t ya wanna listen to me?” he asked it. He put Tajin’s Pokéball away as he pulled out his Axew.

“It’s up to you, Skewer!”

Skewer burst from his ball with a little battle cry, ready to rumble.

“We beat one of your Pokémon already!” Hop said. “This will be a piece of cake! Sobble, use Pound!”

Sobble lunged at Skewer, swinging around to strike the Axew with his tail.

“Block it, Skewer!”

Leon watched in amazement as Skewer effortlessly blocked Sobble’s tail with his tusk. For an Axew’s tusks to be that sturdy, it must have already had a bit of experience on its side.

“Now use Scary Face!”

Skewer towered over Sobble, claws raised, and snarled as ferociously as he could. Sobble’s eyes teared up and he backed away timidly.

“Don’t be intimidated by that, Sobble! Use Water Gun!”

Sobble shot out a burst of water, but it hardly caused Skewer to flinch.

“Water ain’t gonna do much against a dragon-type! Skewer, use Scratch!”

“Dodge it, Sobble!”

Sobble tried to move out of the way, but was much slower than before. Skewer closed in on him and started raking his claws over the lizard in a such a frenzy that Sobble curled in on himself, desperate to protect some part of his body from the onslaught.

“Sobble! Get out of there! Use Bind!”

Sobble managed to twist out of the way and wrap his tail around Skewer’s midsection.

“Alright, now-”

“Dragon Rage!”

With Sobble still wrapped around Skewer, he had no way to dodge in time as Skewer unleashed a purple shock wave point blank into his face. Sobble crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

“Sobble is unable to battle!” Leon announced.

Hop returned Sobble and smiled at the Pokéball. “You did great, Sobble. Thanks.”

He sent out his Wooloo. “It’s not over yet! Wooloo, Tackle!”

Wooloo rolled into Skewer, pushing the Axew back a few feet. 

“Use Scratch!”

“Not so fast! Wooloo, Defense Curl!”

Skewer ran up to Wooloo with claws outstretched as Wooloo curled up in a tight ball. Though he slashed repeatedly at Wooloo’s fleece, the sheep hardly seemed to notice.

_He’s upping Wooloo’s defenses,_ Leon thought. _And Wooloo’s defense is naturally pretty high, so physical attacks will be worthless at this point. Good idea, Hop._

“Don’t give up, Skewer! Wooloo should still be taking some damage!”

“Wooloo, Tackle!”

Wooloo suddenly sprung out of his defensive curl and rammed Skewer across the field.

“Skewer! You okay?”

The Axew stood up a bit shakily. He turned to his trainer and nodded.

“Then let’s keep going! Dragon Rage!”

_Dragon Rage won’t be affected by Wooloo’s raise in defense,_ Leon thought. Was Rico strategizing, or just caught up in the excitement of battle?

The shock wave hit hard, and Wooloo was looking a little worse for wear. Leon didn’t think he could take another hit like that.

“Almost there! Dragon Rage one more time!”

“Wooloo! Copycat!”

Both Skewer and Wooloo released similar blasts that struck each other at the same time. When the dust settled, both Pokémon were no longer able to move.

“I can’t believe it…” Leon said. “It’s a tie!”

Hop and Rico stared incredulously at each other for a few seconds before they burst out laughing.

“Well that was a shock!”

“What’re the odds of that?”

Leon was genuinely impressed. “You and your Pokémon all fought hard! I almost wanted to let Charizard out to join in on all the fun! Good effort out there! Why don’t I get you all sorted?” 

He pulled out a few revives and potions as the boys released all four of their collective Pokémon for Leon to heal.

_Rico could be a real rival to Hop. Just what he needs to push him to get stronger,_ Leon thought. _What the hell am I thinking? I can’t forget what’s going on here…_

Nevertheless, he found it interesting. The boy was neither human nor Pokémon, but he had the makings of a good trainer.

“I’m still going to get stronger and stronger!” Hop declared. “You’ve seen us battle now, Lee, so come on – you gotta let us take on the Gym Challenge!”

“You think you’re ready? Not putting the cart before the Rapidash there, little brother?” Leon asked.

“Mum said you would endorse us last night!”

_Why, why, why did she think telling him that was a good idea?_

“What’s the Gym Challenge?” Rico asked.

“It’s an annual competition in the Galar region.” Hop told him. “You have to challenge all 8 gyms in Galar and earn their badges in order to qualify for the Champion Cup tournament. But in order to participate, you need to receive a letter of endorsement!”

“Ya need a fancy letter just to enter?” Rico frowned. “In the other regions you can just sign up and start battlin’ the gyms as soon as ya get your first Pokémon.”

“Different regions, different rules, mate.”

“I still think it’s stupid. It’s not like you’re runnin’ for Council or President or something.”

“Regardless, if that’s what you two want to do, you still have a whole lot to learn about Pokémon.” Leon said, ignoring Rico’s comment. “And before you start thinking about gym badges, best to think about getting a Pokedex.”

“That thing that lets you record Pokémon?” Rico asked.

“Correct! A trainer’s Pokedex helps them learn lots of things about all the Pokémon out there, including their strengths. But it’s more than a collection of data, it’s a record of all a trainer’s love and passion for Pokémon training!”

“Right, right, we get it!” Hop said. “Pokedexes then. We’re on it! Off to the Research Lab we go!”

Leon laughed. “Good! That’s the kind of enthusiasm a trainer needs! I’ll let the professor know to expect you.” 

“Where’s the Research lab?” Rico asked. 

“It’s in Wedgehurst. I guess I never bothered to point it about before, huh? C’mon, I’ll show you.” Hop started to led Rico toward the path when the two of them heard a loud crash.

“What the hell was that?” Rico looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. “Sounded like it came from up the hill.”

“Near the abandoned house?” Hop’s shoulders drooped. “Great.”

Rico ran up the hill just in time to see a white ball of fluff disappear past the open gate into the Slumbering Weald. Hop caught up shortly after.

“Hey, the gate’s open.”

“I think I saw a Wooloo roll in.”

“It must have broken through. But its off-limits. No one is supposed to go in there.”

“We was in there.”

“That’s was different. I was looking for my Wooloo, and you crash landed.”

Rico looked back at the entry into the Weald, the gate swinging back and forth.

“Should we go after it?”

“I don’t know. The professor’s granddaughter went in there once and came back in a real state, and that was nothing compared to the earful she got from the professor afterward.”

Rico looked back at the Weald nervously. “Where’s Scourge when ya need him…” he mumbled.

“That’s the second time you’ve said that name. Who is that?”

“He’s-”

“Meeeeeeh!”

Hop’s attention whipped back to the Weald. “That sounded like the Wooloo! I know we’re not supposed to, but this the kind of scene where you have to do what’s needed! Let’s go!”

“Let me go first!” Rico said, moving ahead of Hop. “If I catch its scent, we could track it down easily. Then we can get out faster.”

“You can track by scent?”

“I’m a dragon, remember?” Rico smirked at Hop. “My brother’s been teachin’ me to do this since I was a hatchling.”

“You have a brother too?”

“Talk later. Rescue now.” Rico said, dragging Hop in behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Rico certainly wasn't going to pick the adorable but highly flammable monkey.  
> -Also Hop gets Sobble because I say so.  
> -I know Tajin isn't that spicy but it's the perfect name for a Scorbunny.  
> -Hope the battle scene was interesting. I tried to write it like they do in the anime.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off into the Slumbering Weald once more! Finding Wooloo is a given, but what else will they discover?
> 
> More miscellaneous artwork at the end of the chapter.

The Slumbering Weald was just as damp and foggy as it was the first time Rico was there. He took a few sniffs of the air, but didn’t smell anything resembling sheep.

“Where do you think it got off to?” Hop asked, watching Rico pace around, sniffing. “If we don’t find it soon, we could be in trouble. The fog is getting thicker.”

“I’m not gettin’ anything yet.” Rico said.

He doesn’t think he’s ever had trouble tracking things before. Maybe the damp, heavy air is affecting him? Maybe it’s the thick magic he can feel emanating from the ground. Or maybe this human nose just sucks. 

He approached some tall grass and perked up. “I’m gettin’ something!” He charged through the grass, closely followed by Hop.

“Watch out!” Hop pulled Rico back just as a small creature launched at him. It was gray and furry with a large tail and tufted ears.

“SQUIRREL!”

The Skwovet’s angry chitters turned into a squeak of terror as Rico began to chase it, until it managed to lose the dragon scampering up a tall tree.

“Rico! Stop! We need to find that Wooloo!” Hop yelled.

Rico pried his claws out of the tree bark and sheepishly turned to Hop. “Right. Sorry.” 

Sometimes it was hard to ignore his prey drive. Especially when his quarry was so ready to run from him. Back on track, they wandered through the grass, occasionally having to fight off more Skwovet with their Pokémon. Hop grabbed Rico’s arm to prevent him from chasing after them as they fled. At one point a flock of small blue birds Hop called Rookidee flew at their faces, angrily pecking. Rico freed his wings to shield the both of them as Hop sent out Sobble to chase them off with Water Gun.

As they crossed the bridge, they both froze at what sounded like a distant howl.

“Did you hear that?” Hop asked. “Was that a Pokémon?”

“I hope so.” Rico said. _I hope it ain’t werewolves. That’s the last thing we need._

The further they went in the foggier it became. Rico was starting to get nervous. He felt like they were being watched, their movements carefully tracked like prey. Rico wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of that feeling. 

“This is mad.” Hop said. “I can’t even see my own hand in front of my face!”

“Hop!”

Hop turned around and squinted through the fog. “That you, Rico?”

Hop startled as something was pressed into his hand. It felt thick and scaly.

“Hold my tail if you gotta so we don’t get separated. Just don’t yank it.”

And with that Hop let Rico lead him as he tracked down the Wooloo. Hop was careful not to pull, knowing how negatively Rico would react.

“How can you even tell where you’re going in this mess?”

“Ya don’t really need to see when you’re trackin’. Ya use your nose.”

“What if you fall into a ditch?”

Rico paused. “I didn’t think of that…”

There was another mysterious howl. This one sounded much closer. Rico and Hop hesitantly turned around to see a massive creature standing before them.

“What in the-!?” Hop jumped about four feet back. Rico growled, moving in front of Hop and spreading his wings to shield him.

“I can’t smell ‘em…”

The creature was vaguely familiar. It looked like the giant wolf he had met before, but this one was… paler?

Before he could think much more about it, Tajin popped out of his Pokéball.

“Tajin?”

The Scorbunny had a determined look on his face, staring down the mystery wolf. Under normal circumstances it would have been incredibly stupid for a rabbit to stand up to a wolf like this, but in his world rabbits didn’t breathe fire either.

“Alright then, Ember!”

Tajin ignored him, launching himself at the wolf in an attempted Tackle attack, but seemed to pass right through.

“What? It had no effect?” Hop said from behind Rico.

“Tajin, listen to me!” Rico was getting frustrated. “Use Ember!”

This time the Scorbunny did shoot out a few small flames, but it still passed through the wolf.

“Maybe it’s not real!” Rico exclaimed.

As if responding to Rico’s accusation, the wolf howled, causing the fog to roll in even thicker than before.

“I can’t see anything! You okay, Rico?” Hop sounded far away, even though Rico could have sworn he was right behind him.

“Where are you?” Rico couldn’t see anything, couldn’t smell anything, could barely hear anything. This was getting scary.

“Scor!”

“Tajin…?”

His vision filled with white, before it all faded to black.

************

Rico opened his eyes and groaned. Where was he now? 

The fog had cleared a little, but the giant wolf was nowhere to be seen. Just a few feet away he saw Tajin and Hop were slowly getting up.

“Ugh…what was that?” Hop asked, shaking his head as if to clear it.

“Hop! Rico!”

The boys turned to the voice in the distance.

“That sounds like Lee.” Hop said.

Rico suddenly leapt to his feet, pulling his jacket back on and reaching to his head to make sure his hat was in place just as Leon reached them. 

_Whew!_

“Lee?” Hop asked incredulously. “How’d you find your way here? You’re usually pants with directions!”

Rico snorted.

“Oh, that’s nice to hear from the little brother who had me worried sick!” Leon said, eyes narrowing. “I had been waiting ages for you two, but you never showed! Are you alright?”

He checked over his brother for injuries. Rico knew it was stupid to be jealous, but he wished Leon would fawn over him like that, too.

“We were trying to rescue a Wooloo! Where is it?” Hop asked.

Leon stepped aside so that the boys could see his Charizard standing with a Wooloo at his feet. The sheep seemed completely oblivious to the danger it was in, happily munching on a clover.

“The little chap’s just fine.” He turned back to the boys, voice becoming stern.

“You know this place is out of bounds. It’s extremely dangerous. But it took courage to come in here all the same, so I can understand why you did it.”

His sternness melted away into a warm smile. “You did good, Hop!”

Hop’s eyes lit up at the praise. “Well, at least that Wooloo is alright, right, Rico?”

“Yeah, I thought we were in trouble when that big wolf attacked.”

“Wait, what?” Leon’s eyes widened in alarm. “Big wolf?”

“Yeah, it seemed loads stronger than any Pokémon I’ve ever seen!” Hop said. “And it just had this sort of presence. Rico’s Scorbunny tried to attack it, but his moves passed right through it.”

“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t real.” Rico said. “I mean, it felt real, but I’m pretty sure we was hallucinatin’ or something. It just wasn’t… solid.”

Leon crossed his arm as tilted his head. “So the fearsome Pokémon they say live in the Slumbering Weald… are actually illusions?”

“This one looked different from the other one I saw.” Rico said.

“Other? You saw another one?”

Rico nodded. “Yeah! It was a few days ago! It looked like this one but was more…bulky I guess? And it had a darker color. I saw it right before I found Hop danglin’ off the edge of a cliff.”

Leon immediately turned his attention back to Hop. “You fell off a cliff!? What were you doing in the Slumbering Weald?”

Hop threw up his arms. “I was just looking for Wooloo after he wandered off! I’m okay, Lee, seriously. Rico saved me.”

“Really?” Leon looked at Rico, eyes softening. “Thanks. No seriously, thank you for saving my brother.”

_He was paying attention to him and thanking him and looking at him with those eyes and-_

Rico scratched the back of his neck, hoping his wasn’t as red as he felt. “It was nothin’…”

“For now, let’s get out of this place. You’ll be alright now that I’m here with you!”

Leon motioned for the boys to follow him. Hop chattered excitedly while they made their way out.

“Even if we got an earful from Lee, what an experience! This’ll make a fine first page in the tale of my legend!”

Rico nodded, only half paying attention. Leon’s sternness and concern for his little brother was reminding him of someone else. Someone he really didn’t want associated in the same part of his brain as his crush.

“Rico?”

Rico blinked and looked at Hop. “Sorry. It’s…” He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose as to not set anything on fire. “Ya know how ya asked who Scourge was?”

“Yeah?”

“Scourge was… _is_ my big brother.”

Hop practically squealed. “That’s awesome! Your memory is starting to come back! What’s he like?”

Rico glanced at Leon. He looked far away enough that he wouldn’t hear too much if Rico kept his voice low.

“He’s the best! He taught me everything I knew as a hatchling. He taught me how to track and how to roar and which minerals are safe to eat and how to keep my horns sharpened and all kinds of things! He helps me with my readin’ and flyin’ and one time when we accidently pissed off a nest of Tatzelwurms he fought ‘em all off by himself! He likes to act like he’s all grown-up, but he’s still just a chick. I saw him take a spatula from the kitchen once and start wavin’ it around pretendin’ it was a sword. He said if I told anyone he’d cut my tail.”

“Is he a trainer too?”

“No.”

“Too bad. He sounds like he’d be a great one.”

Rico’s eyes teared up slightly. He scrubbed his hands over them, but Hop already noticed.

“Woah! You okay, mate? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just,” Rico sniffled, “I just miss him. That’s all I remember about him. Everythin’ else is still kind of fuzzy.”

This isn’t good. He doesn’t need Hop to see him in this state of weakness. But he couldn’t help it. The more he was beginning to remember, the more he realized what he was missing. There was his brother, and another dragon that he still can’t remember much about but figures it will come to him eventually, the farm on their territory…

“Hey, you’ll see him again. Once you remember which region you’re from you could head on over to visit him. I’m sure he misses you too.” Hop reassured.

_If only it were that simple…_

************

Leon felt a little bad for eavesdropping, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to know how much Rico knew. Apparently, he really had forgotten everything. That was a relief in its own way, might make things easier.

However, hearing that he, too, had an older brother he looked up to was something he was not expecting.

_A brother. He has a family. Which means...  
_

His Charizard nudged him. When he looked up, he realized he had been going the wrong way, almost leading them deeper into the Weald.

“Thanks bud.” He pat Charizard’s neck.

The Pokémon gave him a pointed look. Leon just sighed.

“I know. I know. I have to do something about this. Just give me some time to figure things out, okay?”

Charizard huffed and stomped on ahead. Leon watched his oldest partner with a fond smile on his face as they reached the gate that led to the exit.

He’d figure something out. He was the unbeatable Champion after all.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer, but I split it into 2 chapters because it was getting a little TOO long. Here comes Sonia, the awesome assistant!

When they finally made it out of the Weald, Leon announced he had something to do and trusted the boys could make it to Wedgehurst on their own. Hop decided to go into the tall grass around the route to level up his Pokémon a bit. Rico would have been content to head straight to the Research lab Hop had pointed to in the distance, a large building with a purple roof, but the path was blocking by freaking Wooloo again. If he wasn’t worried about people seeing him, he would fly right over them. And he couldn’t scare them away because he promised Hop he wouldn’t terrorize any more Pokémon.

Well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get some training in as well then.

Tajin still wouldn’t listen to him. The Scorbunny seemed ready to do everything to win except follow Rico’s commands. He still hadn’t warmed up to Rico either. Rico wondered if Tajin didn’t like him because he knows he’s not human. Skewer was his main choice then, and it didn’t take much for him to completely cut his way through the Skwovet and Rookidee he saw in the grass. He made it to Wedgehurst without a hitch and immediately headed to the lab where he saw Leon standing in front.

“Not bad. You managed to find the Pokémon Research Lab on your first try!”

He’s smiling at him! _OhsweetTiamatjustendhimrightnow!_

“You did a far sight better than me. I’m hopeless with directions.”

“But the building is so easy to see. All you gotta do is turn right to the purple roof.”

To his surprise Leon laughed it off. “I would keep going left. But that’s why I’ve got Charizard with me, to keep me from getting lost all the time!” He put a hand on Rico’s shoulder and Rico tried not to spontaneously combust at the contact. “Now, in we go!”

As they stepped into the building, the first thing Rico saw was books. There were floor to ceiling shelves of books and even a balcony to reach the higher up ones. 

A high-pitched yapping caught his attention, and he looked down to see a Pokémon resembling a corgi dog quickly approaching, wagging its little lightning bolt-shaped tail.

“A puppy!”

Rico dropped to his knees and ruffled the fur around its face. It yipped delightedly and tried to lick Rico’s face. 

“What is it today, Leon?” A voice caused them both to look up. Standing on the balcony was an orange haired woman with sunglasses perched on her head. She also had heart-shaped clips in her hair and was wearing a tan coat. “Looking for info on another never-before-seen, super strong Pokémon? I wish you’d stop with these outlandish requests.”

She walked down the stairs and turned her attention to Rico, who was still on the floor with the puppy Pokémon. “You’re a new face. Scamp really seems to like you.”

“Scamp?”

“It’s what I call my Yamper.”

“You nickname your Pokémon too?”

Leon nodded. “Scamp is a real champ when it comes to helping you find your way around. He came to my rescue plenty of times when I would get lost on the road. Oh yeah,” Leon gestured to the woman, “that’s his trainer, Sonia. I like the way she cooks.”

If she could cook, she was automatically grand in Rico’s book.

“What kind of introduction was that!?” Sonia stomped, looking indignant. “Did you forget we were rivals during our Gym Challenge?”

“I thought Raihan was Leon’s one true rival.” Rico piped up. Isn't that what Hop said?

Leon’s eyes widened and his face was slowly turning red. What? Was he wrong?

Sonia burst out laughing. “Oh, I like you. Name’s Sonia, the professor’s assistant.”

“I’m Rico.” Rico gave one final pat to Scamp before standing up. Scamp decided to run laps around Leon’s legs before running out of the lab.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? " Leon quickly followed Scamp out the door.

Sonia sighed. “He’s always got his head in the clouds. It’s no wonder he gets lost all the time.”

Rico tilted his head. “I figured he was dyslexic.”

“Huh?”

“I am too.”

Rico remembered one school photo day when they kept telling him to turn and he didn’t know which direction to face.

_“He’s dyslexic! Just turn him!” Scourge had yelled._

Sonia stood there for a minute, expression blank, seemingly lost in thought. Did it never occur to anyone that Leon might have dyslexia? Did they even know about stuff like that here? Rico was tested when he was 4 after it was noted how much trouble he seemed to have with reading even basic materials, claiming letters seemed like they would flip around the pages of books or scrolls.

“That…would actually explain a few things.” Sonia finally said. “I don’t think he’s ever been officially diagnosed, but…Oh, that’s right! You came here for a Pokedex, right?”

Rico’s phone popped out of his pocket and buzzed.

“Whoa! Rotom?” Rico startled.

“Rotom phones are really handy, aren’t they?” Sonia said. “They come with a map and navigation apps. Here, I’ll load the Pokedex app on it, too.”

Sonia plucked the phone out of the air and proceeded to fiddle with it for a few seconds.

“The Pokedex is a gift from my gran, just so you know. Be sure to let her know you received it.”

Sonia handed Rico back his phone. He turned it on and checked the Pokedex. Information for Scorbunny and Axew were already loaded on it.

“Thank you, miss. Is you grandma here?”

“No, her house is off of Route 2. If you head on east from Wedgehurst, you should find it no problem.”

Rico nodded and left the building, stumbling as Scamp ran underfoot to get back into the lab. Weirdly, there was no sign of Leon.

“Hey there, Trainer.”

Rico turned to see a heavyset man approach him.

“Sorry to bother you, but you just came out of the Research lab, am I right?”

“Yeah. Can I help you?”

“That means you received a Pokedex.” The man said. “I love talking to new trainers and giving them useful stuff.”

He handed Rico a purple spray bottle. Rico turned it over in his hands and gave it a sniff.

“Thanks! What is it?”

“It’s a potion. Use it on your Pokémon when their stamina is getting low.”

And with that he left. Rico pondered about the random encounter and he stuffed the potion in his bag. Is it possible for people to be aggressively generous?

He saw the man again on his way through town, talking to a lady about the quiet countryside and how it compares to a busy city. He bumped into Hop on his way east, who encouraged him to stop at the Pokémon Center with him before going further. Rico had to admit, Skewer had gone through quite a few battles already, especially since he was still having problems with Tajin. It was pretty cool he could get his Pokémon treated for free.

“So was that your first time in a Pokémon Center?” Hop asked as they left.

_Yes._ "Nope." _At least, outside of the games._ "I got an idea of how they work. And I know you can buy stuff from the shop in there, too."

As they headed for Route 2, Hop began chatting again. Rico was normally one to talk, but for now he was content to listen to Hop. 

Hop lamented on how Leon didn’t think he was up to snuff, so he thought he could talk to the professor to get her to help. He convinced Rico to talk to her too, so he could also be endorsed. After all, a good rival would help keep him motivated. Rico still thought the whole endorsement thing was stupid, but agreed that taking part in the challenge sounded fun. And maybe it would help unlock more of his past while he was at it. As much as he liked the rural town of Postwick, he didn’t plan on staying there forever, especially if Hop wasn’t going to be there. Besides, if he did get to the Champion Cup, he would be able to face off against Leon!

It wasn’t long until they crossed the bridge that led to Route 2. They just made it to the edge of the tall grass when Hop said, “You know, Rico, we ought to fill out our teams a little bit-”

“And I’m here to teach you how!”

In any other circumstance Rico would have been thrilled to hear the rich sound of Leon’s voice, but he was caught so off guard that he leapt into Hop, toppling the both of them over.

“Sorry about that.” Leon smirked at the pile of limbs on the ground. Rico himself was apologizing as he disentangled himself from Hop, picking him up and trying to brush the dirt off his jacket.

“It’s fine, Rico, really.” Hop said as the dragon continued to dust him. Rico would have preferred to groom him more, but backed off before it got awkward.

Leon stifled a laugh. “Every Pokémon has a type or two that makes it good against some opponents and poor against others. That’s the reason you’ll want to catch different Pokémon – to cover another’s weaknesses.”

“Like how dragon is weak against ice, but ice is weak against fire?” Rico asked.

“Bingo! Looks like you got the idea.” 

“Is that why you picked Scorbunny, to cover for Skewer?” Hop asked.

“I picked him because he was cute.” Rico said. “And a fire-type.”

“You like fire-types, eh? No surprise there.” Leon said. Before Rico could ask what he meant, Leon clasped his hands together and strolled up to the grass. “Now let’s all have a champion time as I show you how it’s done!”

He wandered through the grass until he came across a wild Wooloo.

“This is the way a real Champion catches Pokémon!” Leon announced.

“Typical Lee.” Hop rolled his eyes, but had a fond smile on his face. Rico watched, completely enraptured in the way Leon’s muscles flexed as he threw a Pokéball at the Wooloo. By the time he heard the click, he realized he hadn’t been paying attention at all to the lesson.

“And that’s how it’s done.” Leon said. He then released the Wooloo back into the wild, having no plans to keep it other than for demonstrative purposes. “I’ll give you two some Pokéballs. In return, I only ask that you catch plenty of Pokémon! The Pokémon in this area are pretty easy to catch, almost as if they’re itching to join some Trainer’s team!”

Hop and Rico were each given a whopping 20 Pokéballs. Leon reminded them to battle Trainers they met along the route in order to level up their team before dashing on ahead. Hop proclaimed he would catch loads of Pokémon before he dashed on after. Rico watched them disappear into the distance, deciding he would poke around the grass a bit to see what he could find.

There were quite a few Skwovet, but they ran away before he could get close. There was a weird bug looking creature, but Rico wasn’t interested in it. He gave up and went to move on to the next patch. A fox Pokémon tried to steal his bag, but was sent scurrying when Rico whipped around to snarl at it.

Catching Pokémon was harder than he thought it would be. In the games the wild Pokémon would just conveniently stand there until you knocked them out or threw the ball. 

_Easy to catch, my butt!_

Maybe he should have payed closer attention to Leon's lesson.

He kept on moving on until a young trainer caught his attention. He told Rico that it was customary for trainer to battle when their eyes met. Rico sent out Skewer against the youngster’s Skwovet. It was an easy win. Skewer’s experience level was far higher than the boy’s Skwovet. The boy grumbled about how he always seems to look right at the strong trainers as he handed Rico prize money. Rico was stunned. You can get money just for winning battles? Then again, he had only ever been in practice battles or against wild Pokémon, and the first real battle he had with another Trainer ended in a tie.

Rico continues on, wondering how the other two could be so far ahead of him already. He hadn’t been dawdling for that long, had he? He started to speed up, catching Pokémon taking a backseat to his fear of being left behind. He was stopped along the way by another trainer. Well, a little extra experience never hurt, right? She sent out a Pokémon Rico hadn’t seen before, a blue turtle called a Chewtle. His Axew quickly found out it had a nasty bite, but Skewer was able to defeat it with a well-timed Dragon Rage. Rico felt like he was really raking in the cash at this point.

He saw Skewer was getting tired. He knew couldn’t rely on him for _all_ the battling, but…

He pulled out the potion. He realized he wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but after nearly spraying it in his eye he was able to apply it to Skewer’s minor injuries. Good timing too, as there was one more youngster on the route to battle.

After beating his Nickit (as he learned the fox Pokémon was called) he felt relieved to finally see a purple roofed house up ahead, Hop standing in front.

“There you are!” Hop said. “I managed to catch a real special one! How about you? Catch anything good?”

“I, uh, haven’t caught anything yet.”

“What? Then what took you so long?”

“I’ve been battlin’ trainers along the way. I kind of got caught up.”

Hop sighed and pat him on the shoulder. Rico didn’t know whether or not to be offended. He was half tempted to trip him with his tail until he saw Leon talking to an older lady with glasses and a bird-shaped cane.

“So have you unraveled all the secrets of the Dynamax phenomenon yet?” he asked her.

“Goodness no. The whole thing is still full of questions. I had hoped my granddaughter would take over my research, but…” She made a face that looked equal parts sad and agitated. _Smad? Smagitated?_

The lady noticed Rico and Hop and seemed surprised. “Dear me, I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize I had guests. My name is Magnolia. Welcome, young trainers.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Rico said.

They were all invited inside and stood in Magnolia’s kitchen. Rico could smell something had recently been cooked. It made his stomachs growl lowly.

“Why, Hop dear. I see Wooloo has made some new friends.” Magnolia said, noting the three Pokéballs on his belt.

“And you must be Rico.” Magnolia said. Rico nodded. “I trust you both received the Pokedex from Sonia.”

Leon stepped up at that moment. “Do you know what Dynamaxing is, Rico?”

“Yup!” Rico nodded again. “Hop showed me some of your matches on TV.”

Though it wasn’t the Pokémon he was watching half the time _._

“Professor Magnolia here has been studying the Dynamax phenomenon for years.” Leon continued. “It takes proper understanding of it if you plan to use Dynamaxing to its fullest!”

“There you go, Leon. Always talking about Pokémon.” The professor rolled her eyes, but her voice carried a jovial tone. “There are other things worth knowing as well, like how many different types of tea there are.”

“Tea sounds tasty.” Rico said.

“See? This young man has the right idea.”

“Hey, Professor,” Hop spoke up, “could you do use a favor and convince Lee to endorse us for the Gym challenge?”

Magnolia looked a little surprised. “Oh Leon, why wouldn’t you endorse them?”

“Hop had only started out as a Pokémon Trainer. There’s loads he doesn’t know yet.” Leon said. “And Rico…”

He turned to face Rico, expression stern. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you haven’t even been able to bond with your Scorbunny. How can you be sure you’re capable of taking this on?”

That’s not fair. Rico only had Tajin for a day and a half! And he got along with Skewer just fine. Before he could voice his indignation, however, Hop spoke up.

“Oh come on, Lee! It’s no different than when you first got Charmander! He wouldn’t listen to a word you said!”

“That’s dif-”

“Don’t say it’s different! It’s not different at all! He shot Flamethrowers at you all the time!”

Magnolia stepped in before an argument could develop.

“Dearie, I thought your dream was to have Galar’s trainers be the strongest in the world? Isn’t that right?” 

Leon crossed his arms, slowly relenting. “Well, you’re not wrong…” He stood up straight and looked to the two young trainers before him. “How about this? Let’s see if you two can show me such a brilliant battle I have no choice but to endorse you.”

“I can get behind that!” Rico said.

“Right! I’ll be waiting for you outside then, Rico!” Hop said as he ran out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon that Leon is dyslexic and that's why he gets lost so easily.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is only getting posted early because it was supposed to be part of the previous chapter. Enjoy part two.

Rico followed Hop outside to the battle area. It looked similar to the one in front of Hop and Leon’s house, but bigger. The whole front yard was massive, now that he got a good look at it. The was a huge garden in front and a greenhouse tucked along the side of a lake. Everything was carefully sculpted, from the ivy climbing up the wall of house down to the meticulously placed cobblestone path. This human really liked her plants, huh? Rico could never grow anything. It seemed every plant he touched died. 

Well, he felt he had been distracted long enough. His claws were itching for a good fight. He felt more excited about it than those battles he had along the route. Maybe it was because he was facing Hop?

“I’m gonna be the greatest Pokémon Trainer there is!” Hop said once Rico joined him on the field. “And to do that, I need that endorsement to take part in the Gym Challenge! So come at me with everything you’ve got so we can prove we have what it takes!”

Had Rico’s tail been out it would be vibrating like mad right now. There was something thrilling about Hop’s intensity.

“Of course!” Rico grinned. “Let’s do this!”

Leon and Magnolia came out to watch, and possibly to referee.

“I’m rather interested in seeing how you two young trainers battle, too.” Magnolia said.

“Listen up you two.” Leon’s suddenly commanding tone made Rico instantly look up. “The reason I’m unbeatable is because I learn from every battle I see or take part in. That’s how I got where I am today. So show me something good in this battle! Any questions?”

“Do we get dinner after this?”

“I meant about…” Leon rubbed his temples. “Yeah, sure. Dinner’s next.”

Rico watched as Hop approached the other end of the battlefield. “It’s time for my legend to begin!” He preceded to send out Wooloo. 

Rico decided to take a risk and use Tajin. He hasn’t really gotten any battle experience because he’d been using Skewer so much.

“Wooloo, use Tackle!”

Wooloo bleated and rolled straight at Tajin.

“Dodge it, Tajin!”

Tajin ignored him for the umpteenth freaking time and instead Double Kicked Wooloo like a soccer ball across the field.

“Don’t let that faze you, Wooloo! Use Headbutt!”

Headbutt hits a lot harder than Tackle, Rico quickly realizes as Tajin is rammed back. The Scorbunny struggled to his feet, glaring at his opponent.

“Alright Tajin, use-”

Tajin let loose a spattering of flames at Wooloo. Ember seemed to do more damage than Double Kick, and Rico noticed Hop’s Wooloo wincing in pain.

“Wooloo’s been burned!”

Well that was unexpected. But he could use that to his advantage. “Tajin-”

Once again, he didn’t get to finish his command as Tajin finished Wooloo off with Double Kick.

Hop returned Wooloo, looking at his ball. “It’s fine. You did great.”

Rico won the first match. But it didn’t feel like a proper win. Tajin was still stubbornly doing his own thing. How is he supposed to impress Leon if his Pokémon won’t listen to him!?

Hop sent out a Rookidee next. That was new.

“Rookidee, use Peck!”

Rookidee swooped towards Tajin. He tried to kick the bird but seriously, when has anyone ever managed to kick a bird out of the air? Rookidee easily dodged around Tajin, then proceeded to peck mercilessly into his back.

“Tajin, get out of there!”

Tajin managed to escape the flurry of pecks aimed at it and launched into a Quick Attack. It struck Rookidee, but the bird quickly straightened itself out and was airborne again.

“Hone Claws!”

Rookidee’s talons glowed red and appeared to become sharper. What did Hone Claws do again? Raise attack power?

“Tajin, Ember!” If that was the case it’d be best to keep a distance. Too bad Tajin decided another Quick Attack was a better idea.

“Power Trip!”

A dark aura surrounded Rookidee and it slammed into Tajin with all it was worth. The Scorbunny didn’t stand a chance.

Rico didn’t say anything as he returned Tajin, afraid he’d say or do something he’d regret as he clutched the ball almost hard enough to crush it. Instead, he forced the feeling down and sent out Skewer.

“Dragon Rage!”

Skewer wasted no time, blasting Rookidee with his dragon-shaped shockwave. The bird Pokemon wavered, but managed to survive the hit.

“Use Power Trip again!” Clearly Hop was counting on the boost Rookidee got from Hone Claws.

Rookidee flew at Skewer, getting ready to slam into him when…

“Use Bite!”

Skewer chomped down on Rookidee’s wing, causing the bird to thrash and chirp in alarm.

“Now Scratch!”

Literally being held in place by Skewer’s jaws, Rookidee had no way to dodge as Skewer raked his claws over him, stopping only when the bird went limp and dropped to the field. Hop returned him.

“It’ll be a close one, but that’s exactly my kind of match!”

Hop sent out his final Pokémon: Sobble. It was down to one Pokémon each now. 

“Scratch!”

“Dodge it, Sobble! And use Growl!”

Sobble leapt away from Skewer’s claws and growled at him. It sounded too cute to be scary, but Rico knew it was to lower Skewer’s attack. 

“Bite!”

Skewer charged forward and clamped its jaws on Sobble’s arm, causing it to cry out.

“Pound!”

Sobble repeatedly thumped his tail on Skewer’s snout until the Axew couldn’t take it anymore and let go.

“Water Gun!”

Sobble whipped around and blasted Skewer with a powerful burst of water. Skewer was still standing, but it looked like it did more damage this time. Sobble must have leveled up some.

“Hang in there. Use Dragon Rage!”

Skewer released another blast that Sobble managed to dodge.

“Again!”

It might have been reckless to fire off wild potshots, but Rico was getting frustrated. Finally a blast got lucky and managed to knock Sobble off his feet.

“Sobble, get up!”

Sobble struggled to his feet just as Rico called out his next attack.

“Bite!”

Skewer rushed at Sobble right as Hop called for Sobble to use Pound. Skewer's jaws closed around Sobble’s tail. Hop gasped as Rico grinned.

“Dragon Rage!”

Skewer swung his head and tossed Sobble into the air, while at the same time releasing a blast that hit the blue Pokémon head on. When Sobble hit the ground, he made no signs of moving.

“Oof.” Hop looked disappointed as he returned Sobble. “Gutted that I lost, but I’d expect nothing less from my rival!”

Rico couldn’t believe it. He won! It was close there for a second, but he won!

“Yew!” Skewer sticks his nose in the air, clearly proud of himself.

Rico pats Skewer proudly, praising him before returning him. He walked to the middle of the field to meet Hop, who held out his hand. Rico instinctively began to lean in before catching himself, grasping and vigorously shaking Hop’s hand instead.

After making sure his shoulder hadn’t been dislocated, Hop handed Rico ₽640. Rico stared at the amount in shock.

“You don’t gotta-”

“You won the battle, mate.”

It was one thing to take money from strangers, but to take it from Hop felt wrong somehow. 

“And to think I even got my Pokéball throw perfect, too!” Hop lamented, sagging his shoulders.

_No, no! Hop is sad!_

“Those were some great throws alright! It was like watchin’ ya pitch at a baseball field! Or whatever this region’s got that’s equivalent to baseball.”

Hop chuckled a little. 

_Yes, that’s much better._

“The sting of defeat and the joy of victory…” Hop sighed. “I guess us going through both is the key to the two of us getting stronger, right?”

“Rico! Hop!” Leon strolled to the middle of the field, smiling widely at the both of them. “After seeing a match like that one, I suppose I have no choice but to give you both an endorsement as Champion!”

Hop practically screamed when Leon handed him an envelope. “Thanks, Lee! I swear I’m going to win my way through the Gym Challenge to face you!”

When Rico was handed his, he thanked him and giddily opened it to skim over the text. Most of it he didn’t bother reading, all that mattered was Leon’s signature at the bottom. It was like having an autograph from your favorite celebrity! Well, Leon _is_ a celebrity here, so…

“You may both still be new at this and rough around the edges, and that battle certainly wasn’t traditional by any means.” Leon said. “But Charizard and I could still feel the excitement in every cell of our bodies!”

He crossed his arms as he addressed Hop.

“Hop, you’ve always tended to get caught up in things like how you throw your Pokéball out… Things that have nothing to do with real strength. Honestly, I’d been worried about you still obsessing over that sort of nonsense, but it seems you really have grown a bit, little brother.” 

Leon then turned to Rico.

“Rico, you still have a lot to work on with that Scorbunny of yours, but the bond you share with your Axew is clearly strong. And to defeat two of Hop’s Pokémon with your one couldn’t have been an easy feat.”

Rico couldn’t help but puff his chest out slightly at the praise. Even with that little screw-up at the beginning, it seemed he had still impressed the Champion after all.

“Alright, Rico! You and me are going to train up against one another to aim for that champion’s title!” Hop slung an arm around Rico’s shoulders.

“ _Against_ one another?” Rico asked.

"That’s the way of it when you’ve got a great rival!” Hop said, smiling. “Just like you’ve got me, and I’ve got you!"

Rico smiled back, settling into Hop’s embrace.

_We got each other._

“Huh, what’s that?” 

Rico followed Hop’s gaze to the darkening sky just in time to see something streak down.

“A shooting star!” Rico exclaimed.

He watched in amazement as it landed right off the edge of the field, leaving something sparkling in the dirt. He ducked out from under Hop’s arm and went to investigate. It was hard to tell what he was looking at. It looked like a pair of tiny, purple meteorites.

Hop approached his side and examined the stones as well. “Rico! Do you know what these are?”

“Space rocks?”

“Those are Wishing Stars!” Hop grabbed the both of them and managed to wedge them out of the ground. Once freed, he handed one to Rico. “Since there are two of them, you should take one for yourself!”

Rico stared at the rock. He could feel a small amount energy trickling out of it. It made his hands tingle. The energy it put off felt invigorating.

“With one of these, my Pokémon will be able to Dynamax!” Hop beams as he clenches his stone. “They’re gonna be massive! Yes!”

“Cool!” Rico looked at his stone with renewed interest. “Let’s do it right now!” 

Hop laughed. “Hate to break it to you, but we’d need to be near a power spot for them to work.”

Rico heard footsteps and turned to see Leon and Magnolia behind him.

“Lee, look!” Hop eagerly showed his Wishing Star to Leon.

“Trust you to pull something like this!” Leon said proudly. “They say Wishing Stars fall down for those who have a true wish in their heart, you know.”

“I will be the greatest trainer ever! I WILL be the greatest trainer ever! I WILL BE THE GREATEST TRAINER EVER!!!” Hop declared. “There. I’ve said it three times, so surely my wish will come true now, right?”

Rico gaped at him. “You’re not supposed to say your wish out loud! It won’t come true if you do!”

He knew what he wanted to wish for. One lifetime supply of mackerel, please. 

Wait, maybe he should wish for something more practical; like remembering everything or finding his brother. But the idea of endless mackerel…

“Don’t be silly.” Magnolia said. “Those wishing stars are composed of a curious rock containing unknown power…. They are one of the most precious energy resources we have in the Galar region.”

Rico looked at the rock in his hands again. Did this little thing really contain that much power?

“But they won’t do a thing for you in that state.” Magnolia continued. “Give them to me now, and I’ll have you sorted.”

Hop eagerly handed his over. “Ah, right. You’ve done heaps of research on the Dynamax phenomenon, haven’t you, professor? Then please, give Rico and me the power to Dynamax our Pokémon!”

Rico was a bit reluctant to let go of his. Something about this rock made him want to hold on it, guard it, keep it. He had to reassure himself that he was getting it back. As soon as professor Magnolia was done doing whatever she was going to do with it.

“First we got to battle against that mad Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald, and now this…” Hop beamed brightly. “It really feels like we’re caught up in the adventure of a lifetime!”

The professor covered her mouth and giggled. “I understand your excitement, young man, but don’t get carried away. You want to save your energy for tomorrow’s journey.”

“Seems like I came back home right on time for all the excitement!”

Everyone turned around to see Sonia approaching the group. 

“Hey you lot, why not have some dinner?”

Rico perked up immediately.

“You must be hungry, right?” Sonia continued, twirling her hair. “I’ve been totally obsessed with making the latest trendy curries.”

“I call dibs on the first batch!” Rico exclaimed as he sped towards the house.

“Not if I get there first!” Hop chased after him.

As the rest of the group made their way back, Leon paused and grabbed Sonia’s arm.

“Leon? What is it?”

Leon waited until the others were far away enough that he was sure he wouldn’t be overheard.

“I need to talk to you later.”

“What? Why can’t we talk right now?”

“I don’t want to bring this up in front of Hop or that other kid. It’s something…sensitive.”

Sonia smirked. “Aw, is little Hop experiencing his first crush?”

“What!? No!” Leon nearly shouted, then forced his voice back down. “Just meet me outside later tonight. In private. This is important.”

Sonia can’t remember the last time Leon sounded so serious. “Okay, fine.”

Leon thanked her and made his way into the house.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I supposed if I titled my chapters this one could be called Cooking and Conspiracies.

Dinner was incredible! Rico could easily taste why Leon liked Sonia’s cooking so much! He would have been on his fourth serving if he hadn’t been told to leave some for the rest of them. Hop spoke of the times he camped out with Leon and the latter’s ineptitude at making camp-side curry. This led to Hop asking if Rico knew how to cook.

“I can set things on fire.”

This earned a chuckle from everyone at the table for some reason. Sonia offered to give the two some cooking tips for the road.

After dinner Sonia led Rico upstairs. Rico was surprised to see the walls were literal bookcases. “The guest bedroom is on the left.”

Rico goes over to the door and opens it. Inside was a very purple room, with a purple bed, a purple rug, and a large vanity in one corner covered in makeup supplies next to a wardrobe covered in Yamper stickers.

“Rico, that’s _my_ room.” Sonia said. “I said on the left.”

Rico turned around sheepishly. “Whoops.”

He quickly made to leave the room, but not without noticing sketches of Pokémon posted on a cork-board. Did Sonia draw those? They were really good. He liked drawing too.

He found the room at the other end of the hall and had just climbed onto the bed when Hop came in.

“Hi, Hop.”

“Oh, hey, Rico. I didn’t realize you were already in here.” He turned to leave.

“Where're ya goin’?”

“I’m just gonna see if I can crash on the couch or something.”

“Why?”

“Well, Lee’s in the only other guest room and you’re already in here…”

“You don’t gotta settle for the couch. This bed is huge!”

“Wha-?”

Rico sat up and scooted to the far end, turning a circle before settling down on top of the blanket.

Hop still looked hesitant. Was he not used to sharing sleep space? Rico had a few distant memories of when he was little (well, _littler)_ curling up next to his brother for warmth, or the two of them each tucked under the massive wings of a much larger dragon, safe and snug. It was a pity that humans would never know what that was like, given their lack of wings. 

“Are you sure?” Hop squirmed. “I mean, isn’t it weird…?”

“I have to share a room with Scourge back home, so I’m used to it.”

Hop continued to stand in the doorway for what felt like eternity before he finally took a few uncertain steps forward. Rico respectfully gave him space as he climbed under the covers.

“Okay, I think this can work.” Hop said.

“Night, Hop.”

“Night, Rico.”

The dragon was out in a matter of minutes. Hop wasn’t particularly surprised, given how much he ate at dinner. He probably put himself into a food coma.

Hop had a lot running through his head. He was ecstatic to finally be joining the Gym Challenge, and to do it with a friend and rival like Rico by his side would make it that much more fun. It reminded him of the stories he heard about Leon traveling with Sonia and Raihan on their Gym Challenges. Well, in that case one rival trained dragons and in this case Hop’s rival _is_ a dragon, but the parallel was still there.

He didn’t get why Leon was being so hard on Rico. Was he testing him? He was reluctant to give Hop his endorsement, but almost seemed determined to keep Rico away from the Gym Challenge altogether. It was almost like Leon knew something was off about Rico. 

Hop yawned, his tiredness finally catching up to him. It was highly unlikely Leon knew anything. Rico has been surprisingly good at keeping his secret. He still hoped one day he could see his friend as an actual dragon. Maybe he’d even let Hop ride him.

With that final thought, Hop finally drifted off to sleep.

************

Sonia paced back and forth in the garden, the cold air biting at her face as she waited for Leon. What was so important that he needed to talk to her in the dead of the night? The creak of the front door made her look up, seeing Leon finally making his way towards her.

“What took you so long? Did you get lost on your way to the living room?”

Leon scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. Sonia sighed and shook her head.

“You’re hopeless.”

“I know.” He straightened up and fixed Sonia with a serious look. “Look, this is going to sound crazy, but bear with me. You know that kid Hop’s traveling with? Rico?”

“Yes…?”

“He’s not really a kid.”

Sonia blinked. “Pardon?”

“I mean he is, but he’s not really human.” 

“How can you tell? He looks completely human. What else could he be?” 

“I’ll admit, his disguise is pretty good. He almost had me fooled.”

Sonia gasped. “You’re not about to tell me he’s a Pokémon, are you?”

Leon shook his head. “He’s not even that. You see, he’s not really from this world. He’s… he’s a dragon.”

"I'm assuming you don't mean dragon-type."

"...no."

“How do you know all this?”

“Do you remember that new energy project in Wyndon I told you about a couple of weeks back? The one that’s supposed to be under wraps?”

“Are you saying he’s-"

"Here as a result of that.” Leon finished for her.

“Then how are you so calm around him?” Sonia asked. Leon was acting surprising chill around a creature that was not of this world.

“He doesn’t remember much. I don’t want to alarm him.”

“If you know all this, why did you endorse him?”

“I didn’t want to. I’ve been trying to dissuade him. I was hoping I could confine him to Postwick or at least Wedgehurt until further notice, but Hop insisted I endorse him too. He’s grown awfully close to Rico in the past few days and I think he'd be devastated if I didn't.”

“And you’re okay with this creature hanging around your brother?" Sonia asked, incredulous. "Despite how dangerous he is?”

“I’m starting to think he’s not as dangerous as I was led to believe." Leon stated. "He saved Hop’s life. He’s even bonded with a Pokémon, despite not being human.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

“I was going to ask you to keep tabs on him. But don’t make it obvious! Just watch what he does and how he acts. Keep track of where he goes. I’d do it myself, but I’m already in enough hot water as it is. I can’t risk taking more time off just to keep an eye on him. And there’s more business I have to take care of back in Wyndon.” 

Sonia considered it for a bit. It might not be a bad idea; to be the first one to study the habits of an undiscovered species. That would surely gain her recognition!

“I’ll do it.”

************

Hop woke up feeling the warmest and most comfortable he had ever felt in his life. He almost didn’t want to get up, shifting a little only to feel something leathery brush his cheek. He opened his eyes to see that Rico had draped a wing across his form. The realization made him jump, causing him to tumble out of bed and onto the floor.

The noise instantly woke the dragon, who, upon not seeing Hop, scrambled to the edge of the bed and looked down.

“Please tell me ya didn’t spend the whole night on the floor.”

Hop groaned, rubbing the bump on his head. “I fell off the bed.”

“Didn’t peg ya for a sleep thrasher.”

Hop grumpily grabbed the edge of the bed and pushed himself up. “Good morning to you too.” 

Rico snickered, sitting up for his morning stretching routine. Hop left to start getting ready in the bathroom. He headed downstairs shortly after to see Sonia, Magnolia, and her husband already at the table.

“It’s morning at last!” Hop declared. “And time for my adventure to truly start! Hey, where’s Lee?”

“He left early this morning.” Sonia said, drinking a cup of tea. “He had to go to Motostoke for the Opening Ceremony.”

“He left already?” Hop slumped, looking absolutely crestfallen.

“It’s okay. You’ll still see him when you get there, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so. So anyway, what’s for breakfast?”

As if on cue, Rico raced downstairs and stopped next to Hop.

“Did somebody say ‘breakfast?’”

After settling down to eat, Sonia turns to Hop.

“Is it true you met some Pokémon you didn’t recognize? Is there anything more you can tell me about them?”

Hop shrugged. “Well, there was this weird heavy fog, and then this even weirder Pokémon appeared… Rico tried to fight it off! But then I think we both passed out or something. It’s all pretty hazy.”

Sonia then looked at Rico. “Leon mentioned you saw two of them.”

“Nud ad the san tam.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Rico swallowed his eggs and tried again. “Not at the same time. But yeah. They looked similar, but not really the same? One of ‘em was bigger and darker.”

“A right fount of information you are.” Sonia commented.

Professor Magnolia then stood up and made her way over to the boys. “Rico, Hop, these are for you.”

She hands each of them a wristband with a small screen. To Rico, it looked like those fancy digital watches humans wore that could tell them the weather and time and such.

“Which wrist do ya put it on?” Rico asked.

“Are you left or right-handed?” Hop asked as he slipped on his own.

“Right.”

“Then put it on your right one.”

Rico slipped it on and examined it. It was hard to believe the wishing star was contained in this little device, but he could still feel the tiniest trickle of energy spilling out of it.

“Those are your new Dynamax bands.” Magnolia explained. “I made them by fitting the Wishing stars you found last night into those bands.”

“Thanks, Professor! This is brilliant!” Hop grinned and turned to Rico. “They’re just like the one Lee has on him too. Now we can Dynamax our Pokémon like he does!”

“My word, you don’t waste any time, do you?” Magnolia giggled. “I think you’ll find it’s not so simple as all that. There are a number of conditions you must meet if you hope to have your Pokémon Dynamax and take on that gigantic form.”

“Well, the first step would be to find a power spot, right?” Hop asked.

“Ya mentioned that yesterday.” Rico said. “What’s a power spot?”

“They are these special areas that allow Pokémon to Dynamax.” Sonia explained. “All the major stadiums are built over one. There are some scattered throughout the Wild Area, too. They’re called raid dens.”

“Like the ones on the Isle of Armor?”

“Exactly!”

“Now, don’t be afraid to go to all sorts of places and meet all sorts of Pokémon. That will help fill out your Pokédex, too.” The professor says.

Rico and Hop eagerly nodded. They say their goodbyes and exited the house.

“The legend of my reign is finally about to begin!” Hop declared once he was outside. “Come on, Rico! I’ll beat you to the station! You remember where we went to pick up Lee before, right? That’ll be the goal, so I’ll see you there!”

Rico snarled playfully. “Bring it, human!”

The two take off across the route, trading playful jabs the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Crown Tundra expansion is awesome! I love Calyrex and the Galarian Star Tournament! Multi-battles are the best way to battle!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally made it to the Wild Area. Hopefully something interesting happens.

Rico swore he would’ve beaten Hop if he hadn’t stopped to catch that Yamper.

He had been chasing it around in the grass for a good ten minutes before he growled in frustration and chucked a Pokéball, smacking it right in the side before it was pulled into the ball. The resounding click that signified a successful capture stunned him for a second. He picked the ball and stared at it. He caught something, finally. Though he wasn’t sure how badly he wanted to keep it. Sonia’s Yamper was cute, but this little beast was a massive pain in the tail before it was even his.

Well, he’d hold on to it for now. He managed to catch up to a very smug Hop already waiting at the station. Waiting to gloat no doubt.

After putting Rico in his place, he cheerfully asked, “So what did you catch?”

“A Yamper. Not sure if I’m gonna keep it, though.”

“Why not? You’re going to need more Pokémon in order to build a fine team.”

“You’re right. I just… don’t think I click with this one.”

Hop shrugged. “Well anyway, the Gym Challenge begins in Motostoke.” He flashed a pair of train tickets. “The train’s here, so we better get going.”

“Not quite so fast.”

They turn to see Hop’s mother approaching carrying a couple of packs.

“What’re you doing here, mum?”

Hop’s mother smiled. “I knew this day was coming since the moment you picked Sobble as a partner, darling."

 _That was just two days ago,_ Rico thought.

“Professor Magnolia was kind enough to let me you two were setting off.” Hop’s mother continued.

Hop rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Rico turned to him in shock.

“Ya didn’t tell your mom ya left?”

“It kind of slipped my mind.” Hop admitted.

Hop’s mother laughed. It was a little surprising to Rico, how casual his mother seemed to be with her son just up and leaving the nest like this.

“I’m glad I caught you two before the train. So here – a last little gift to see you well set on your way. All the kit you need for camping.”

She handed Hop the first compact camping kit. “Thanks, mum!” He beamed. “And just think how lucky you are – mother to the first ever pair of Champion brothers! Because I’m certain to be champion next!”

_Dear Tiamat! Hop’s confidence is adorable._

“This one is old, but it should last at least until you can buy a new set.” Hop’s mother said, handing Rico the second kit. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I have an older brother too. I’m used to hand-me-downs. Thank you kindly.”

Rico took off his bag to stuff in the camping kit. To his surprise, it fit fairly easily.

“Anyway, do have fun and take care of yourselves!” Hop’s mother said. “You’ll be welcome back home anytime!”

The train pulls in at the moment, and the young trainers turn to leave.

“Thanks again, miss! Bye!”

“Wish us luck, mum! Love you!”

************

Rico had never been on a train before. Though trains existed in his world, there was never a need to use them considering most everyone could easily fly from place to place. Trains were mostly used by humans and the wingless.

The train was actually pretty spacious. The blue seats were arranged like booths and there was a table between them like a restaurant, minus the food. Hop excitedly tapped away at his phone while Rico watched the landscape pass by in the window. Hop tapped his shoulder after a while and showed Rico his phone. He had a webpage open showing the Wild Area, a massive piece of land right in the center of the Galar region that connected most of the towns, including Motostoke. Hop told Rico all about how the weather was known to change unpredictably and there were all sorts of wild Pokémon wandering about everywhere. It was also known for its great camping and fishing spots. Rico pulled out his own phone to look up the town they were headed to, but got frustrated when he couldn’t find any results. Hop looks at his phone and laughed.

“Mate, you typed 'Tomosoke.'”

Rico dropped his head on the table and went silent. Just when Hop was wondering if he had fainted, a muffled voice asked him how to spell Motostoke.

Rico had been looking at Motostoke stadium on his phone when the train pulled to a stop. Hop stretched and got up out of his seat. “Huh, that was a short ride.”

Rico gets up to follow him as they exit the train. It turns out that they were not, in fact, in Motostoke. As they found out from the station master, the train was stopped in the Wild Area due to a flock of Wooloo on the tracks, and that it would be quite a while before the train was up and moving again.

“Well this sucks.” Rico said.

“Actually it’s brilliant!” Hop countered. “There are loads of Pokémon to battle here and put together the greatest team!”

Admittedly, Rico was curious about the Wild Area, so maybe this was a good turn of events. Hop charged out of the station while Rico charged towards a vending machine, helping himself to a bottle of Lemonade, chugging it, then buying another before following Hop out the building.

He stopped when he saw Hop talking to a young woman with blonde hair and a large purse. When Hop saw Rico, he grabbed him and pulled him over.

“Hey Rico, listen to this.” Hop turned to address the woman. “Could you repeat what you said just now?”

“Hello, I was wondering if anyone around here knows where to find Yamper? I’ve wanted to catch one for the longest time.”

Hop nudged Rico. Rico stared at him before remembering.

“Oh, Yamper?”

“Yes. I love electric types, and Yamper is so cute. I was hoping to catch one before I had to go back to Alola, but I don’t know where to find one.”

“I have a Yamper!”

The woman’s eyes lit up. “You do? Would you be willing to trade it?”

Rico tilted his head. “Trade? For what?”

The woman set down her purse and pulled out an Egg. 

“How about this egg? It’s all the way from the Alola region. It’ll hatch into something a little different than what you’d find here in Galar.”

“Wait, it’s nothing illegal is it?” Hop asked.

“I promise it’s not _that_ different.” The lady insisted.

Rico weighed his options. He never hatched a Pokémon egg before, but how different could it be to a dragon egg? The promise of something unique was tempting as well.

“Alright, let’s trade!”

One trade later, and Rico was cheerfully carrying a Pokémon egg in his arms.

“I can’t help but feel like you just got scammed.” Hop said.

“She seemed nice. I don’t think she’d do that.”

Hop glanced back at the station where the woman disappeared, presumably to head back to Wedgehurst to get to the airport, and was surprised to see a familiar face headed their way.

“Oh, hello. If it isn’t Sonia.”

Sonia frowned, twirling a lock of hair. “My gran gave me a proper earful, in her own way…”

“About what?” Rico asked.

“She was saying, ‘Those two new trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?’”

“Sounds rough.”

“It’s nothing to worry yourselves over. Besides, I’m quite curious about the Pokémon you two met in the forest. I’d been thinking I should look into it, so the timing works out fine! And if I discover something really huge, like an entire new species, then maybe even Gran’ll admit I’ve got some talent!”

“Yikes…Being an adult has its own challenges, eh?” Hop asked.

“That’s why I ain’t in no rush to grow up.” Rico said.

“Like I said, you needn’t worry about it. It’s been ages since I’ve been on the road. It’ll be great fun to fish and camp and rough it outside again.” Sonia smiled, then looked down at the object in Rico’s arms.

“What do you have there?”

Rico grinned. “It’s an egg!”

“You have an egg?” Sonia asked incredulously.

“Yeah, he traded some girl a Pokémon for it.” Hop said. “I tried to talk him out of just taking some mysterious Pokémon egg from a complete stranger, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Oh,” Sonia said, deflating a little. “So the egg’s not yours.”

“It is mine.” Rico insisted, taking off his bag to tuck the egg inside. “I traded for it.”

“I mean…nevermind. It’s not important.”

“Well I’m off to stick my head in as many of those red glowing dens as I can find, battle the snot out of a bunch of Dynamaxed Pokémon, and fill in another page in the tale of my legend!” Hop declared, puffing out his chest.

“Not without me you ain’t!” Rico said, grabbing the collar of his jacket. “I learned all about those dens from Mr. Mustard. I ain’t lettin’ ya stick your head in any holes lest ya come up without it.”

“What cheek.” Sonia giggled. “Dynamax Pokémon are really on another level, you know. You better Dynamax your partner Pokémon, too, if you want to take on opponents that strong.”

“We’ll be careful.” Rico said, tightening his grip on Hop’s jacket.

Sonia smiled and waved. “Well I'll see you two in Motostoke. Go on catching as many Pokémon as you like. This is the start of your real adventure!”

Sonia waved as she walked past the gate and disappeared into the Wild Area. 

“…Rico, you can let go of me now.” Hop said, easing himself out of Rico’s grip.

Rico stood stock still, staring at the entrance to the Wild Area. Hop wasn’t kidding when he said it was huge. He wasn’t sure if it was as big as the Isle, but as far as his eyes could see there were vast open fields, clusters of trees, and large lakes in the distance.

It was….

“There may be a few trainers around, but the Wild Area is so massive that it’s unlikely we’ll bump into any, so you don’t have to worry too much about hiding.”

It was breathtaking.

“Rico, you listening?”

When Hop turned to address Rico again, he noticed the dragon was gone. Staring off into the distance, he saw him already in the fields, running and pouncing before suddenly dropping out of sight.

“Rico!”

Hop ran after him, clearing the small hill only to see Rico lying in the grass, his bag and jacket off to the side, arms tucked under his chin, and his wings spread out across his back, soaking up the sun’s rays.

“Seriously? You ran all the way out here to take a kip?”

“What’s a kip?” Rico asked drowsily. “Move. You’re blockin’ the sun.”

Hop stepped aside. He’s seen Leon’s Charizard basking in the yard enough times to understand what Rico was doing.

“You don’t plan on lying there all day, right? We still have to get to Motostoke.”

Rico didn’t move, beginning to make a low rumbling noise.

“Fine then. I guess we’re setting up camp here for the night.” Hop said. He picked up Rico’s bag and moved closer to the tree line before taking off his own bag and fishing out their camping supplies.

He let out their Pokémon out to play and then started setting up the tents, figuring they were going to spend the night, as Rico clearly had no plans to move and it was late afternoon by this point, so they wouldn’t make it to Motostoke before dark. Rico at some point got up to see what Hop was doing. He asked if he could help, so Hop showed him how to finish the tents while he got a curry pot set up. It was a little early to start dinner though.

Rico looked over the tents to make sure they wouldn’t collapse. Satisfied, he crawled into his red one, poking around until he stuck his head out the flap.

“It’s like a cave!” 

“Do other dragons live in caves back home?” Hop asked.

“Nah. I live in a home kind of like yours.” Rico said and he reached for his bag and pulled it inside, checking on the egg. “But we dragons still seem attracted to caves for some reason. I think it’s an instinct thing.”

Hop nodded, then looked through their cooking supplies. “I’ll be right back. We need berries for the curry, so I’m off!” 

“You better not be plannin’ to jump into any of those raid dens.”

“I’m not. I’m just going to find a few berry trees. They’re all over the Wild Area. I’ll even take Rookidee with me.” He stuck out his arm as the little bird flew over and landed on him. “He needs the training anyway.”

“Don’t get lost.”

Hop laughed. “I’m not like Lee. I don’t get lost that easily.”

He stood up and took off before Rico could get another word in.

“Hatchling. Runnin’ around like a chicken with its head cut off.” Rico mumbled.

Rico checked on the egg one more time. It hadn’t changed from the last few minutes he checked. How long was this going to take?

He tucked his bag in the far side of the tent to keep it safe, then crawled out to see what the Pokémon were up to.

“Hey, has anyone seen Tajin?”

The remaining three Pokémon shook their heads.

So the rabbit wandered off. Great. 

“Okay, y’all stay here until Hop gets back. I’m gonna look for him.”

He wondered for a moment if it would be easier to fly over the Wild Area. The risk of another trainer seeing him was low according to Hop.

He decided to risk it. Who knows how far off Tajin had gone. With a couple of flaps he was off, searching for the fire rabbit.

After going some distance he landed clumsily in a tree, glad that the branch was sturdy enough to hold him. With one hand he gripped the trunk as he scanned the landscape for his Pokémon.

There. In the fields. There was a familiar speck of red and white in the distance, moving at a high speed. It was being chased by something big, gray, and serpentine-like. Something that was definitely not happy.

_An Onix!_

The Onix roared furiously as it chased the Scorbunny, firing shot after shot of blueish green beams from its mouth.

Knowing Tajin, he probably picked a fight with that Onix. Stupid! He oughta let that Onix whoop his tail. That would teach him a lesson, right? _Right?_

_…_

He spread his wings and shot forward.

“Tajin!”

The Scorbunny looked up at the sound of his trainer. Rico swooped in and snatched Tajin right out of the way as Onix threw a large rock at him. He quickly flew to the shelter of some nearby tall grass and set Tajin down. Now that he got a good look at him, the Scorbunny’s fur was mussed up and he was covered in bruises.

“What were ya thinkin’, ya blockhead!?” Rico snapped. “Tryin’ to fight a freakin’ Onix by yourself? Do ya got a death wish? Just look at you, you’re hurt!” 

Rico shocked himself at how much he sounded like Scourge in that moment. Tajin at least had the decency to look ashamed, his long ears drooping. Rico sighed and pat the Scorbunny’s head.

“Look Tajin, I know you wanna be strong. But the way you’re goin’ about it is all wrong. We’re a fleet. We should be workin’ together. I don’t like seein’ ya hurt like this, buddy.”

Suddenly something slammed right into Rico’s left wing. He shrieked and pitched forward. What the hell was that?

The weight of the object landed on his side. It was a rock. A big rock. Rico saw Tajin’s eyes widen in fear and glanced over his own shoulder to see that the Onix from before had found them. 

Oh crap! They had to go now! 

Rico didn’t think his wing was broken. He was more resilient than that. He spread his wings and– Oh son of a bastard that freaking hurts!

No other choice then, Rico picked Tajin and made a run for it. The Onix chased after them. Rico wasn’t sure if he’d be able to outrun it. His fears were confirmed when he stopped at the edge of a large lake. He quickly turned to go another direction, but came face to face with the enraged Onix. His wing hurt and Rico didn’t know how to swim. They were cornered.

_Talk about bein’ trapped between a rock and a hard place. Though in this case I guess it’s a rock and a wet place…_

Tajin squirmed in Rico’s arms until he broke free. Before Rico could question what he was doing, he ran right up to the Onix.

“Tajin, what’re ya doin’!?” _Is he determined to get himself killed? He’s already hurt, there’s no way he could…_

Tajin looked over his shoulder at Rico. He could see the burning determination in the rabbit’s eyes. He was not ready to give up yet. And if he wasn’t going to give, neither would Rico!

“Alright then, Double Kick!”

Tajin leapt into the air at the same time the Onix lunged forward, delivering two hard kicks right to the center of Onix’s forehead.

“Nice!”

Tajin landed as the Onix righted itself, raising its tail and swinging it at him.

“Use Quick Attack to dodge!”

Tajin sped out of the way of Onix’s Iron Tail, spinning around at the last minute to strike the Onix in the side.

“Double Kick again!”

Tajin leapt up and delivered another pair of kicks to the Onix’s head. This time, however, the Onix managed to blast Tajin with Dragonbreath, knocking the Scorbunny to the ground.

“Tajin!”

Rico stepped back, then nearly yelped when he felt his foot get wet. He had accidentally backed into the lake. 

_Ugh, water._

…

_Water!_

Before the Onix could land another hit on Tajin, it was suddenly hit in the face with a blast of orange flame.

“Leave him alone ya sorry sack of rocks!”

Tajin stared in shock at his fire-breathing trainer. Rico glared at the Onix, eyes glowing and smoke coming off his form. The Onix turned to glare right back at him. Rico knew what he was going to do next was stupid and risky, but he had to try it.

Imitating the cartoons he used to watch, he pulled down his eyelid and stuck his tongue out at the Onix.

This seemed to enrage the Onix even more, and it roared as it charged at Rico.

Rico crouched next to the lake edge, keeping his tail in the water. _A little closer…NOW!_

He began lashing his tail upward in a scooping motion, repeatedly splashing the rock-type with water. The Onix screeched in horror and began to flail.

Rico saw Tajin get up. Now was their chance.

“Tajin, Quick Attack!”

Tajin was suddenly engulfed in flames, then sped towards the Onix like a flaming bullet, hitting it right in the lower jaw. This finally caused the massive Pokémon to keel over, and when it went down it did not get up again.

“That was…that was…” Rico stared incredulously at Tajin, who seemed just as surprised.

“That was Flame Charge!”

Tajin rubbed his nose and smiled for the first time since Rico had him. Rico ran over and picked him up, both cheering as he spun around.

Rico then sat Tajin on the ground and dropped to one knee, putting himself at near eye level with the Scorbunny.

“I know you want to get stronger, Tajin. I want to get stronger too. But you don’t gotta do it alone. Me, Skewer, and even Hop and his Pokémon all want to work hard and make it to the top. So what do ya say, buddy?”

He held out his fist, and was delighted to get a bump in return. Rico laughed as his latest partner climbed up his shoulder and rubbed his cheek fur into the side of Rico’s face. Rico happily nuzzled him back.

“That’s right! Let’s get stronger together!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Convincing battles are harder to write than I though they'd be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rico's normally pretty friendly, right?

After a long trek, Rico finally made it back to the campsite. It was harder to find considering he couldn’t fly overhead to locate it. He greeted the other Pokémon as he carried Tajin to his tent, set him down and crawled inside. He emerged with the lemonade he bought from the vending machine, opened it, and handed it to Tajin.

“Here ya go. It’ll help make ya feel better.”

Tajin took the drink and happily took a sip. Rico ruffled his fur and checked on the campsite.

“Hop’s not back yet?”

The Pokémon looked at him and shrugged. He should have been back by now, right? He was only going to pick berries. Did he get lost after all? He better not have gotten into a raid den by himself.

He could have waited a little longer, but he was an impatient dragon, and all he could think about was Hop being attacked by a Pokémon, or falling into in a den and breaking a leg, or falling in the lake and drowning, or…

Okay, that’s enough. He was going to look for Hop before these worst-case scenarios drove him crazy. Hop took his Rookidee with him, but left his bag. Rico picked it up and gave it a good sniff. Sure he had committed his scent to memory, he told the Pokémon to wait at the camp once more while he tracked down Hop. If it turned out he was fine Rico would just turn around and head back to camp. If he was hurt…

Rico moved a little faster.

************

Hop realized too late he should have brought more than his Rookidee along. While the little guy needed the training, he was still too low-leveled to deal with some of the fiercer Pokémon in the wild. And the way this Liepard had mercilessly defeated the bird Pokémon and was now hissing menacingly while circling him was clearly not friendly intent.

He fell back and threw up his arms when the Liepard pounced, but suddenly he heard it yowl. He lowered his hands to see a familiar pair of wings and a spotted tail lashing back and forth.

Rico hunched over Hop’s form protectively, snarling at the Liepard as it rose to its feet and hissed. Hop didn’t think he had ever seen the dragon like this; he looked almost feral, his eyes glowing a bright orange like hot metal. It was the angriest he had ever seen Rico. 

Rico growled. _My human! Get away!_

The Liepard tried to circle around, but Rico followed it, never turning his back to it. When the Liepard dared make a swipe at him, he swiped back. It wasn’t a bluff strike. 

_Touch him and I’ll rip ya apart!_

The Liepard finally seemed tired of playing this game and pounced. Rico met it halfway, and the two rolled on the ground, hissing and growling and tearing into each other with claws and teeth. Rico finally seemed to get the upper hand when he kicked the big cat away from him. As soon as it hit the ground it was blasted with a flame.

The injured Liepard wailed and staggered back, its fur charred. It looked like it wanted to flee now, but Rico was closing in on it.

“Rico! Stop!”

The voice made Rico pause, turning to see Hop stumble toward him.

“You’re taking it too far!”

The distraction was just what Liepard needed to limp-run away. Rico snorted in its direction, smoke curling from his nostrils.

_That’s right. Piss off!_

He turned back to Hop, only for all the fire to go out of his eyes when he saw how horrified he looked.

“What were you doing!?”

“Protectin’ you!” Rico said, eyes tearing up the slightest. Did Hop not like him anymore? He didn’t want Hop to be afraid of him, he just couldn’t stand the thought of anything bad happening to his human-

His _friend._

“That thing looked ready to kill you!”

“ _You_ looked ready to kill _it_!”

“I wouldn’t have…” That was a lie and Rico knew it. He would have definitely ended that Liepard if it meant saving Hop. But he couldn’t tell him that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t wanna see you get hurt…or…or worse…”

He flinched when Hop reached an arm out, but relaxed slightly when Hop rested his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry too. I should have been more careful. Here I am telling you all about the powerful Pokémon that live out here and yet I somehow thought only bringing one Pokémon with me was a good idea.”

“You don’t hate me?”

“For saving my life? Twice? What kind of ungrateful friend do you take me for?” Hop asked, arms raised in mock offense. “But do me one favor from here on out: let’s leave Pokémon battles to the Pokémon.”

Rico nodded. Hop still liked him. They were still friends. All is as it should be.

“So did ya manage to get the berries?”

Hop laughed. “Of course you’d be concerned with that.” 

He reached into his pockets and pulled out a couple handfuls of colorful fruit.

“Wait until dinner.” Hop said, noting the way Rico was eyeing the berries.

Rico whined, but acquiesced and the two started making their way back to the campsite, when all of a sudden Hop stopped and grabbed Rico’s arm.

“Rico, you’re hurt.”

Hop turned Rico’s arm over so he could see the bleeding slashes the Liepard had managed to give him.

“Aw, crap. That’s why it was stingin’ so much.”

Hop watched in shock and a bit of disgust as Rico dragged a forked tongue over the scratches. He had heard the expression “lick your wounds” before, but this was a little too literal. Rico licked the injury a few more times and then proceeded to examine his arm. It was clean of debris and no longer bleeding. It should be fine.

“Are you hurt?” Rico asked. It would taste gross, but he knew humans healed slow. At least he could help prevent any injuries from getting infected.

“No thanks!” Hop blurted, taking a step back. “I’m fine, really. You got to that Liepard before it could do anything to me. It’s Rookidee who’s hurt. But I think we should stick to using potions on Pokémon.”

“Alrighty then.”

************

Sonia shifted slightly. Hiding in the bushes seemed a great idea at the time, but all these scratchy twigs and leaves were getting on her nerves and she had to shake out a Blipbug that had crawled into her coat. She made some important observations, however. Rico really wasn’t human. His wingspan looked a little small, so he probably didn’t fly long distances. The spots on his tail were kind of cute. She wondered if the spade at the tip was sharp enough to do damage or if it was merely for show. Whether or not it could be used as a weapon, it was easy to see the dragon was not lacking a built-in arsenal. Claws, teeth, and he could breathe fire!? She started to think Leon was wrong about Rico not being dangerous; he was clearly ready to tear that Liepard apart! What would he have done had Hop not been there to stop him?

Then again, the only reason Rico attacked Liepard in the first place was because he was protecting Hop.

She remembered what Leon had said to her about the two of them bonding. Was this a dragon thing? Maybe Raihan would know. If that were the case, Hop was clearly in no danger, but anyone who Rico perceived as a threat would be.

She cringed when she watched Rico literally lick his wounds clean. He did it so casually, she figured it must be a normal behavior for his kind. She almost blew her cover laughing when Rico offered to do the same for Hop and the latter vehemently said no.

She checked her phone and nearly cursed when she saw the time. She had to get back to her campsite before it got too dark to see, but she also had to be careful that the others didn’t notice her. She waited until the boys were out of sight before crawling out from under the bushes, groaning as she picked leaves out of her hair. The things she did in the name of science. 

************

Having a friend that could breathe fire certainly had its benefits. Lighting a campfire was so much easier for one. Hop tried to focus on stirring the curry while simultaneously fending off Rico’s advances toward the pot. 

“Rico, the curry’s not ready yet.”

“But Hooooop, I’m hungry.” Rico whined.

“Just wait a few more minutes. If you need something to do why don’t you play with the Pokémon for a bit?”

Hop reached into his bag and pulled out his feather toy. “Here, use this.”

Rico sniffed it. “To do what?”

“You just shake it in front of the Pokémon. They like to chase it. Like this.”

Hop waved it in front of his Wooloo, the little bell jingling with the motion. All of a sudden, something nearly snatched the toy right out of his hand.

“Rico! What are you doing?”

Rico looked up at Hop guiltily.

“You wavin’ like that... I couldn’t help it…”

“You sure you’re not actually a Pokémon, mate?”

Rico glared at him, but there was no real venom in it.

“I'm pretty sure.”

Hop continued to stir the curry with one hand as he waved the toy again in his other, trying not to laugh as the Pokémon _and_ the dragon stared at it with intent to pounce.

Was it weird to find this endearing?

With Rico successfully distracted, he was able to finish cooking. Everyone got dished up a plate, even the Pokémon. Rico, of course, went for seconds. And then thirds.

“Where do you put all that food?” Hop asked.

Rico stared at him. “In my stomach. Why does everyone ask that?”

“You just eat a lot. Especially for your size. N-not that I’m saying you’re fat or anything! Is it a dragon thing?”

Rico snickered. “More like a ‘me bein’ a glutton’ thing. At least that’s what Scourge would say. He always said I had a black hole where my stomach should be.”

They finished eating and packed their cooking supplies back up. Hop showed Rico another toy he brought for the Pokémon: a simple bouncy ball patterned like a Pokéball. He tossed it and held back a laugh when he saw how Rico’s eyes tracked it, tail twitching like he wanted to pounce. It landed in front of Tajin, who proceeded to kick it over to Wooloo. Wooloo then headbutted it to Sobble, who startled and started crying, causing Skewer and Rookidee to run over to soothe him.

“Hey that’s right!” Rico exclaimed. “We still haven’t decided on a name for your Wooloo!”

“Rico, please…”

“Just hear me out. I got some good ones this time. How about Chilver?”

“Chilver? What’s that?”

“It means lamb. Well, that might be a better name for a girl… how about Scotch then?”

“Scotch? Like the drink?”

 _Like Hopscotch._ “Yeah, like the drink.”

Hop considered it for a moment. “Hmmm… You know, my old neighbor Mr. Jacobs had a Manetric named Whiskey he used to herd Wooloo. So, yeah, I can see that.”

Hop called over his Wooloo. “What do you think, Scotch?”

“Meeeh~”

Hop beamed. “He likes it!”

“Great!” Rico said. “Now we just gotta come up with something for Sobble and Rookidee!”

“Whoa, easy. One at a time.” Hop said before Rico could get started. “Let me try to come up with something next.”

They relaxed and talked for a bit more. Rico asked what Hop’s favorite food was (his own was mackerel; Hop’s was his mum’s curry), and Hop asked him in turn what was his favorite Pokémon type (Rico was tied between fire and dragon; Hop didn’t have a personal favorite). 

As night fell Hop recalled his Pokémon into their balls while Rico chose to leave his two out. Hop called out “Good night,” before they each climbed into their respective tents, drifting off for the night, last thoughts on the Opening Ceremony in Motostoke.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seventeen chapters in and they just barely made it to Motostoke. At least their teams are growing.

_Rico desperately tried to squirm out of the grip holding him. Why won’t they let him go?_

_“Hey, I’m trying to help you!”_

_He ignored the voice and bit down, teeth sinking into something fleshy. It tasted awful._

_“Ow! Arceus dammit! Will you calm the fuck down!?”_

_Suddenly the whole world took a sharp swerve._

_“Hang on, kid! We’ve got company!”_

_Everything swerved again. He wasn’t being squeezed anymore but felt the need to hold on to something. He dug his claws in as the world jarred violently. Something cried out._

_“Watch out!”_

_Rico was suddenly knocked from his spot. He began falling. Falling. Still falling. He was going to die!_

_"Kid!"_

Rico jerked awake. His eyes glowed as he looked around the dark space. He was on the ground. In a tent. Curled up with his Axew and Scorbunny. Not falling. Nothing trying to grab him. 

He flopped back down with a sigh, heart still pounding. That nightmare was different from the last one. It felt familiar somehow, but he couldn’t place why. It was frustrating. 

He scooted deeper into his sleeping bag, trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. He could feel the heat radiating from where Tajin was pressed against his side and focused on that. That nightmare had to have meant something, right? Scourge would probably tease him for trying to find some deeper meaning to his dreams. The thought of his brother made him sniff a little.

_Scourge. Wherever ya are, I hope you’re okay…_

************

Rico checked on the egg one more time before he tucked it in his bag again. He and Hop had just finished taking down their campsite and were back on their way to Motostoke. Hop insisted that they check out some of the raid dens along the way. Because Rico was with him this time, he agreed. Most were empty, much to Hop’s disappointment. They approached every den that gave off even the slightest glow, but all they found were handfuls of watts. Rico was pretty happy with that, but he could tell Hop was itching to battle. They saw a strange stone building in the distance that, according to Hop’s phone, was known as the Watchtower Ruins. They checked it out, having to fend off a few mischievous ghost-types along the way, but what was left of the tower was barren. 

It was still morning by the time they reached East Lake Axewell. Hop pointed out the little island in the middle of the lake, telling Rico that it was called Axew’s Eye. It made Rico wonder if he’d find any dragon-types living there. He started to look it up, but something red caught the corner of his eye.

There was a pillar of red light coming out of the middle of a den. The light shot far up into the sky, higher than Rico could see.

“Um, Hop?” Rico said, tapping him on the shoulder.

“What’s up?” Hop looked up from his phone, then nearly dropped it when he saw the light.

“I think I found one.”

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Hop grabbed Rico’s arm and sped towards the den. Rico didn’t protest. He was excited to see Dynamaxing in person and Hop was by his side, where Rico could keep him safe.

When they reached the edge of the den they paused.

“So do we jump or stick our hands in or…?” Rico asked.

“I actually don’t know.” Hop admitted. “This is my first time this close to an active den.”

Rico could feel the energy radiating out of the den. It was hot and crackily, like lightning. The very air around them seemed to be pressurized. It felt like it was pushing him away and drawing him in at the same time. He reached out and touched the stone lining the den.

His Dynamax band crackled, and he jerked his arm back.

“Whoa. You okay?” Hop asked.

“I’m fine.” Rico looked over his band. It seemed no worse for wear. But the power he could feel as it surged through his band …

Rico leapt into the den.

“Hey, wait up!” Hop shouted, jumping in after.

He slid into the cavern inside and scrambled to his feet. “Rico, what were you…”

He trailed off as he saw a giant bird standing before him, its sharp chirp sounding more like a screech.

“That’s a _big_ Rookidee!” Rico exclaimed,

Hop grabbed Sobble’s ball. “Get ready, mate! This is a raid battle now!”

Rico saw Hop prepped to throw his Pokéball and quickly reached for Skewer’s.

“Let’s do this!”

They threw their balls at the same time. Skewer took one look at the giant Rookidee and cried out, but quickly regained his composure and stared his opponent down.

“So how’s this gonna work?” Rico asked.

“We can start attacking now, or we can Dynamax our Pokémon first!”

“How do we do that?”

Hop returned Sobble to his ball. “First return your Pokémon. Use the energy in your Dynamax band to enlarge your Pokéball, then throw it behind you as hard as you can!”

Rico mimicked Hop’s actions, returning Skewer and activating his wristband. He could feel the energy swirling around him, down to his wrist, before the feeling left him as all that energy shot into the Pokéball in his hand, suddenly growing from the size of an orange to a beach ball. Its increase in weight caught him off guard, and he fumbled the giant ball before he managed to chuck it behind him.

Skewer burst forth from the ball in a flash of red light, several stories tall. When his feet landed on the ground it caused the whole den to shake as he let out a Godzilla-like cry.

“This is amazing!” Rico exclaimed, tail quivering in excitement.

Sobble was equal to Skewer in height, looking more determined than ever. Maybe the size increase gave the timid lizard confidence.

The Rookidee screeched again and flapped its wings, causing a swirling tornado to fly at Sobble.

“Max Guard!” Hop shouted.

A huge wall of energy shot up in front of Sobble, stopping the tornado in its tracks.

“Now use Max Strike!”

Sobble slammed his tail into the ground, causing sparks of energy to surge across the battlefield. When the sparks reached Rookidee, the ground beneath it exploded.

“Awesome! Can I do that too?” Rico asked.

“Yeah! The move is called Max Strike!”

“Skewer, Max Strike!”

Skewer stomped the ground, causing the same sparks of energy to surge to Rookidee. While the move struck, the giant bird had the sense to fly up, preventing it from taking the full brunt of the attack. It shot off another Max Airstream, this time Skewer being the target. Skewer was pushed back a few feet, but stood his ground. It wasn’t done yet, however, shooting off an attack that looked like a giant fist right at Sobble, this time making contact.

“What other max moves are there?”

“Skewer should be able to use Max Wyrmwind!”

“Then use Max Wyrmwind!”

Skewer shot out a blast of purple-tinted energy that took on the shape of a pair of leathery wings. The wings engulfed Rookidee and viciously swirled it around.

“My turn! Sobble, use Max Geyser!”

Sobble formed a ball of water in its mouth, then a massive stream of water launched at the Rookidee. Already slowed and weakened by the previous onslaught of attacks, Rookidee was unable to get out of the way, taking the attack head on.

Rain poured down as Rookidee collapsed to the ground, shaking the walls of the den around it.

“Now what?”

“Catch it!”

Rico quickly pulled out a Pokéball. The power flowed through him again, making him feel giddy as the ball grew. He then jumped and threw it as hard as he could. It pulled the Rookidee inside and hit the ground with enough force to leave a crater. The very ground quaked as the ball shook three times and finally clicked.

Rico trailed over to pick up the ball once it shrank back to its normal size. So this was a Dynamax battle, huh? He could get used to this. He clutched the ball and held it excitedly over his head.

“I caught a Rookidee!”

Hop came over and clapped his hand on Rico’s back. “Not bad for your first raid battle, mate.”

Rico leaned in and briefly rubbed the side of his face against Hop’s shoulder. Hop tensed at the contact, but made no sound of protest so Rico assumed his affection was welcome. "Not bad yourself."

They climbed out of the den after Rico grabbed a few items he found lying around. Mostly berries. He had eaten half of them by the time they were back on the grass.

“Ya want one?” Rico held out a Pecha berry to Hop. 

Hop nodded and took it. “Thanks.”

Rico let his new Rookidee out of its ball. The now little, round bird roused its feathers and shook before poking around in the grass.

“She’s a little bigger than my Rookidee.” Hop noted.

“She’s fat.” Rico said.

“Don’t say that! You’ll hurt her feelings!”

Rico chuckled and bent down to scoop her up. The Rookidee looked up at him with her little red eyes.

“So what are you going to name her?” Hop asked.

“Nugget.”

“Nugget? Why Nugget?”

_“Why Nugget?” Scourge had asked, looking down at the round, fluffy chick nestled in Rico’s claws. It could almost pass for a regular chicken if it weren’t for the scaly, serpentine tail. A healthy cockatrice would have petrifying red eyes. This chick glared at him with its unseeing eyes and hissed. Rico shrugged._

_“He looks like a nugget.”_

“She looks like a Nugget.”

Rico held out a berry to Nugget and she happily pecked away at it.

“So, are we near Motostoke yet?” Rico asked after putting Nugget back in her ball.

“We’re really close. See the wall surrounding this area?” Hop pointed at the massive wall to their left. “All we have to do is follow it to the staircase that leads into the city.”

It wasn’t hard to find said staircase after that. Rico pulled his jacket from around his waist and put it back on since they were so close to civilization again. They raced each other up to the top to be the first to step foot in Motostoke. Rico was getting used to the weight of his bag, as evidenced by the way he cheered upon reaching the top. “In your face, _human_!”

“Hey, I still have two over you! Don’t get too cocky!”

Rico stuck his tongue out at Hop and turned to face the city. It was amazing! An industrialized city with huge engines and machinery Rico had only seen glimpses of in his life. Huge brick buildings adorned with equally huge metal ducts and pipes lined the streets. The steam and smoke in the air made it hot and muggy. Rico loved it.

“Finally we made it!” Hop said, pumping his fist. “Let’s get to the Stadium to register for the Gym Challenge!”

He turned to Rico only to realize the dragon was gone. “Rico?”

He saw him hovering near a couple of shops across from the Pokémon Center. Hop ran over to see what he was looking at. There were a few vendors selling bits and bobs such as figurines, music, and clothes, but of course Rico was focused on the vendors selling curry ingredients.

“Hop, look at this!” Rico excitedly held a package of meat in Hop’s face. “They have burgers!”

“Nice. Are you going to buy that?”

“I already bought four!”

“Hey! Over here!”

A familiar voice drew their attention to the Pokémon Center. They turned to see Sonia waving them over, Scamp by her side, yipping and wagging his tail.

“Miss Sonia!”

“Real ace of you two to make it through the Wild Area.” Sonia said. “Seems your trek ran your Pokémon ragged though. You should pop into the Pokémon Center.” 

“That’s just where we were headed.” Hop said as the three of them walked inside. “Then we’re off to register!”

“The Opening Ceremony…” Sonia said wistfully. “I get a bit worked up when I think how exciting and moving it was to actually stand on a stadium’s pitch for the first time!”

She puts her hands on her hips. “By the way, the ceremony tomorrow is being held at Motostoke Stadium, okay? The lift at the end of the shopping district will get you there in no time.”

“Lift means elevator in British, right?” Rico asked.

Hop and Sonia gave him a weird look before Sonia giggled and twirled her hair with a finger.

“Well, laters! I’m going to swing by the shops while I’m here, but don’t forget to register at the stadium, ‘K?”

With that she waved and left. Hop and Rico got their Pokémon healed at the Center and bought a few potions before heading out themselves.

“By the way, Rico.” Hop started. “After we register at the stadium, we’ll be able to make our own League Cards.”

“What’s that?” Rico asked.

“They’re cards trainers make that have their picture and info on them. Trainers will swap them with each other and give them away. Some have entire albums. They’re a bit like trading cards, actually.”

Hop reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Here, I’ll give you a copy of Lee’s. I have this one already. Sonia has it too.”

Rico took the card and examined it. It was iridescent, the shininess of the card being the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed was the Champion himself. Leon was seated in a dark background, his expression a mix of smiling and stern. He looked so regal; Rico couldn’t be blamed if his pupils dilated a little.

He turned it over and struggled to read the text on the back. He could read it, but…it was a lot of words.

“Um, could ya tell me what the back says?” Rico asks Hop.

“Sure thing.” Hop said, taking back the card and going over the text.

 _“Leon is known far and wide for taking part in the Gym Challenge_ _at the tender age of 10 years old—”_

“He was 10? Like in human years? He was just a chick!”

 _“—and even more so for claiming victory in the Champion Cup on his first attempt. Ever since that victory, he and his partner Charizard_ _have remained unbeaten in both League and exhibition matches. He is called "the unbeatable Champion" and is a hero to many Trainers. He has but one weakness: a dismal sense of direction. But don't worry—wherever_ _he ends up, he makes sure everyone has a champion time!”_

Hop handed the card back to Rico with a twinge of concern in his eyes. “Do you…not know how to read?”

“I can read!” Rico snapped. “It’s just… hard. Unless ya wanna stand here for the next 20 minutes or so waitin’ for me to get through it. I didn’t expect Leon’s life story to be on the back of that card.”

“That little paragraph is far from Lee’s life story.”

“You know what I mean.” Rico took his bag off and tucked the card inside, careful not to jostle the egg. “…how long do Pokémon eggs take to hatch?”

“Depends on the species.” Hop said. “And since we don’t know what species is in your egg or when it was laid, it could be anywhere from tomorrow to next week.”

Rico made a grumbling noise and pulled his bag back on. They started to make their way to the lift when all of a sudden Rico grabbed Hop’s sleeve.

“What is it?” Hop asked.

“There’s a café right there!” Rico pointed to a building with a coffee logo on the sign. “Let’s get lunch!”

“We can go later. We have to get to the stadium.” Hop said, trying to tug out of Rico’s grip. When that didn’t work, he just started walking, Rico essentially being dragged along.

“But we skipped breakfast just to get here early.” Rico whined.

“We were supposed to have the leftover curry, but _someone_ finished it off last night.” Hop said, looking pointedly at Rico.

Rico whimpered. Hop drew back at the expression on the dragon’s face. Were his pupils always that big? How was he able to make himself look so pitiful? He looked like a Yamper that had just been kicked.

“…Okay fine. We can get something to eat real quick, but then no more delays. We’re going straight to the stadium.”

It was Hop’s turn to be dragged as Rico made a beeline for the café.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super long chapter ahead.

The cafe had a friendly air to it. The bright colors, wooden floors, and soft lighting all added to the welcoming atmosphere. Rico took a deep inhale. Sugar, cream, chocolate, honey. The tantalizing scents made his stomach growl audibly. “I hope they have waffles.”

“Welcome to the Battle Café. I’m Café Master Dwight.” The man at the counter said. “You can battle your Pokémon here once a day for a prize on the house.”

_Free food!?_

Rico eagerly walked to the front counter and stopped to stare at the little white Pokémon floating next to the Café Master. It looked like a blob of cream with a face.

“What’re you?”

“That’s Milcery, the Cream Pokémon.” Dwight answered. “She helps out here at the café. She’s good at battling too.”

Rico subtly leaned in to get a sniff of the Pokémon. Milky and sweet. Very appetizing. Hop must have seen the way he was eyeing her because he grabbed Rico’s shoulder. Rico looked up to see Hop giving him don’t-even-think-about-it eyes.

“We’re in.” Hop said, not taking his eyes off Rico.

Rico was surprised they were having the battle right in the middle of the café floor. He thought they’d take this outside so they wouldn’t damage anything. But Dwight walked right out from behind the counter with Milcery by his side and released another Pokémon from a ball. It was pink and fluffy and had a sugary smell, like cotton candy.

_Why do all the Pokémon here look edible!?_

“Looks like this will be a double battle.” Hop said. 

Rico nodded. “Gotcha.”

Hop sent out Scotch at the same time Rico released Tajin.

“Tajin? Are you sure?” he asked, glancing at Rico worriedly.

“We got this. Right, Tajin?” Rico asked. Tajin looked over his shoulder and nodded.

“Tajin, Flame Charge on Milcery!”

“Scotch, Headbutt on Swirlix!”

Tajin lit himself on fire and collided with the cream Pokemon, while Scotch bleated as he rammed into Swirlix.

“Swirlix, Round. Milcery, use Sweet Kiss on Scorbunny.”

Swirlix opened its mouth and let out a high-pitched cry that made Tajin cover his ears and Scotch shake his head. While they were distracted, Milcery got in close to Tajin and blew out a heart. When in came in contact with Tajin, he suddenly became wobbly.

“Tajin, you okay?”

“He’s confused, Rico!”

_Confused?_

“Tajin, Quick Attack?”

Tajin rushed straight for Scotch.

“Whoa! Scotch, Defense Curl quick!”

Scotch curled up right as Tajin ran up and kicked him. Right into Milcery. The unconventional Tackle attack caused the cream Pokémon to faint.

“Lucky shot.” Dwight said, returning Milcery.

“I’m sorry!” Rico said, turning to Hop. “I didn’t know that would happen!”

“It’s not your fault. Tajin’s still confused. And it ended up being a wicked combo attack!”

Dwight ordered Swirlix to use Fairy Wind. Hop had Scotch use Copycat, causing both Pokémon to blow strong gusts of sparkling wind at each other. After the attack, Scotch was still standing, but Swirlix was looking worse for wear.

“Tajin, snap out of it!” Rico shouted. “You can do it! Use Ember on Swirlix!”

Tajin still wobbled, but managed to spit small flames in the direction of Swirlix, being just enough to knock it out.

“We did it!”

Hop and Rico high fived each other as Dwight returned his last Pokémon.

“Not bad, you two. That battle exquisite as a glass of Lemonade.”

Dwight allowed each of them to select a single item off the menu. Hop chose to try some Lumiose Galettes while Rico stayed true to his waffles. The two of them sat at a table, allowing their Pokémon along, and Rico wasted no time digging into his hard-earned treat.

“By the way, when did you manage to get Tajin to listen to you?” Hop asked in between bites of his Gallete. 

“In da Wile Rea.” 

“What?”

Rico gulped down his portion and tried again. “In the Wild Area. Ya know when ya went off lookin’ for berries and got attacked by that Liepard?”

Hop nodded, a little uneasy at the memory.

“Right before that Tajin wandered off and got attacked by an Onix.”

“He did?”

Rico nodded, unable to speak after stuffing his face with another forkful. Tajin reached for his plate and Rico scooted it away. After swallowing he continued.

“I got to him before it could finish him off, but then it hit me with a rock and chased us to the lake and I can’t swim so-”

“You can’t swim?”

“Nope. So anyway, I thought we was screwed, but then Tajin wanted to fight so I told him to use Double Kick and he actually listened but then Onix knocked him down and then I got the idea to splash it with water since rock-types don’t like water and it freaked out so I told Tajin to use Quick Attack but it turned into Flame Charge and that’s when Tajin learned a new move.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, it was something!”

Hop tore off a piece of his Galette to offer to Scotch. Tajin continued to eye Rico’s plate, causing the dragon to curl around it possessively, but finally relented and allowed the Scorbunny a forkful. As they finished their food, they listened to the other patrons talk amongst themselves. They heard stuff like Kabu being one of the patron’s favorite Gym Leaders despite the fact he was older than their dad, and someone else dissing the design of Leon’s cape, which made Hop frown slightly and Rico glare at the back of their head.

They returned their Pokémon after they left, Hop pointing out the lift at the end of the shops, which looked like a giant gear. Rico stepped on after Hop, getting ready to ask how this thing worked, when suddenly the gear shifted counterclockwise and lurched them to the top level.

“Whoa! That was nauseatin’.” Rico said, holding a hand to his gut. Not the best thing to do after eating. He looked up and saw the stadium. It was much bigger in person, making him feel like a tiny hatchling. There was a weird guy dancing right outside the entrance. He/she/(they?) were dressed as a Pokéball.

“Look at that guy.” Rico said, curiously approaching. “Hey, that’s a cool costume.”

“Ta-da!” They said, posing. “Thank you. And since you took the time to talk to a Pokéball, you deserve a little reward!”

They handed Rico an empty Pokéball. Rico thanked them and moved to tuck in in his bag. No such thing as too many balls after all. Wait, maybe he should reword that…

“In case you’re wondering, I’m not just any old Pokéball.” The Pokéball clad figure said. “But then who am I? The answer is simple. The call me the Ball Guy!”

Rico snorted, choking back his laughter at the name.

Hop showed up at his side and began to herd him in the direction of the stadium before he could get distracted by anything else, mumbling something about needing a leash.

“This is where the opening ceremony will be held.” Hop said, clenching his fists in excitement. “The whole world will be watching! It’s getting me a bit nervous, really...”

“Sure ya ain’t just excited?” Rico teased.

“You’re right. This isn’t nerves... I’m only trembling because I’m so excited!”

Hop pushed open the doors and made to step inside. “Come on, Rico! It’s time the world learned our names!” 

_He’s cute when he’s like this,_ Rico thought as he followed.

Hop gaped as he looked around the crowded lobby. "Would you take a look at this... The place is packed with Gym Challengers! Every one of these folks is another rival! Hey, there’s the front desk! Let’s get signed up!"

As they approached the desk, an older looking kid with poofy hair and a dark pink jacket had just turned to leave, pushing past Hop to do so.

“Seriously?” Hop called after him and scoffed. “What a piece of work…”

Rico growled low in his throat. _How dare he shove Hop like that! Who the hell did he think he was?_ He calmed somewhat when he felt the reassuring touch of Hop’s hand on his arm preventing him from charging after the punk.

“Don’t bother, Rico. He’s not worth it.”

Rico threw one more glare in the direction the kid had stalked off before joining Hop at the desk.

“If you’re here to register for the Gym Challenge, I’ll need to see your endorsement, please.” The staff member said. Hop and Rico took off their bags and dug through them to find their endorsement letters.

“I know it’s in here somewhere…Got it!” Hop pulled out is envelope and handed it to the staff member. Rico took a little longer as he had to remove the egg to get to the bottom of his bag for the letter. The envelope was slightly crumpled, but not damaged. 

“Here’s mine.”

The staff looked over both letters. Rico can’t really see his expression behind his sunglasses, but he seemed surprised when he lifted his head up.

“Fancy that… This is the first time we’ve ever had challengers endorsed by the Champion! I wonder what’s coming over Leon this year…”

Rico’s eyes narrowed slightly. What’s that supposed to mean?

“The two of you must be something special.”

Ok, he could get behind that.

“I’m Hop.” Hop declares. “I’m Leon’s little brother, in fact. And the next Champion. Get me all signed up, would you?”

“W-well, yes, I am trying to… If you’ll just give me a moment…” The staff member said as he began filling out a form. “Do you have your IDs with you?”

Hop handed over his phone. After confirming his identity, the staff motioned for Rico to hand over his. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He had to admit that was one nice thing about clothes. So many extra pouches to hold things.

“Oh, a student of the Isle of Armor, huh?” the staff marveled. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had one of those… You know that island is owned by the former Champion?”

“Former Champion?” For some reason it never occurred to Rico that someone had to be the champion before Leon. He was obviously a grown-up, but he still looked pretty young. How old was he anyway? 

“Yes. A former Gym Leader named Mustard was the champion for a good 18 years before he lost his title some 50 years ago.” The staff continued.

 _What?_ “What?”

The staff hands Rico and Hop their phones back after filling out a second form, Rico still standing in shock.

“There! You two have been successfully registered as Gym Challengers. You should get a confirmation on your phones in a few minutes. In the meantime, you can now choose your preferred number for you uniform, if you’d be so kind?”

“I have to pick a number?” Rico asked.

“Yes. It will be displayed on the back of the uniform you must wear for any official match.”

Rico froze. He couldn’t think of a number on the spot like this.

“Go on, you can pick anything.” Hop said.

“What number are you pickin’?”

“You can’t use my number, Rico.”

“C’mon, help me out here! One for one?”

“Okay then.” The staff member starting writing. “141 it is.”

“Huh? Well, okay. I guess that works...” Rico muttered. 

Hop laughed and turned to talk to the staff, picking 189 for himself. When Rico asked him why, Hop explained it was wordplay for “leaping.” Rico didn’t get it.

“And here. Please wear this Challenge Band at all times to identify yourself as a Gym Challenger. The opening ceremony for the Gym Challenge is to be held here tomorrow. All the trainers taking part have been booked a room at the nearby Budew Drop Inn.”

“That’s the League Chairman for you!” Hop said excitedly. “Even booked us all hotel rooms!”

“He sounds nice.” Rico said, wondering if this League Chairman was the alpha of the region.

“I’m off to check the fancy digs!” Hop said before running off.

Rico chuckled. He loved Hop’s enthusiasm.

He decided to wander the lobby a bit, curious about all the buzz around him. At one point he nearly collided with another challenger, whipping around to apologize profusely.

She didn’t seem put out, only a bit amused. “You’re lookin’ a bit gobsmacked by all this.”

“Uh, I guess?” Rico said. _I did just find out Mr. Mustard was the former Champion._

“You must be from some small country town, is that it? I’m quite the same myself.” Her tone was friendly, but not once did she crack a smile. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a pink dress. Rico thought it looked pretty cool.

Movement near her feet caught his eye, and he glanced down to see a small, two-toned Pokemon by her side. It vaguely resembled a Pikachu, but it was smaller and didn’t have a tail.

“Who’s that?”

“This is Meeko, my Morpeko.” The girl explained. “She’s my partner.”

Rico crouched down to get a better look. “I ain’t ever seen a Pokémon like this before. She’s really cute.”

“Urara~” Meeko seemed to preen at the praise.

“Heck of a fighter though.” The girl said.

"Can I pet her?"

The girl nodded. Rico carefully reached out a fist for Meeko to sniff. Once introductions were done, Rico pet the Morpeko on the head. Meeko leaned into it, making a happy little clicking sound.

"She's not usually that friendly with strangers." The girl noted.

"A little flattery can go a long way." Rico said.

After a few extra pets, Rico got up and waved goodbye. As he made his way out, he saw that older, pink-clad boy near the exit. Rico glared at him, and the boy had the audacity to scoff!

“I was endorsed by the Chairman himself,” he bragged, sliding a hand over his poofy hair. “In other words, among all those elite enough to get an endorsement, I’m the most elite of all. So why don’t you clear off and not try talking to me, would you? It’s positively criminal of you, wasting the time of someone as important as I am.”

_How about I shove my foot up your ass instead?_

Thank Tiamat Scourge wasn’t around to hear that. Not that Rico actually said it out loud, but he _really_ wanted to.

It was after Rico left, he realized he had no clue where the Budew Drop Inn was located. Motostoke was a big city and this was his first time here.

“Why’d ya have to leave me, Hop?” Rico whined.

A league staff member showed up at that moment, waving Rico over.

“You’re Challenger Rico, right?” 

Rico nodded.

“The Budew Drop Inn is down this way. If you would be so kind as to follow me…”

The staff member led Rico down about a block before stopping in front of a tall building with a green sign.

“Try to get some rest and build your strength for what’s to come.” The staff said before walking off. 

Rico yelled a thank you in her direction before approaching the door. Two people came out before him, so he stepped aside. They were talking about how most of the companies in the Galar region are owned by Chairman Rose. He went in after they were gone.

The first thing he saw was a huge statue right in the center of the lobby between the staircases. The second thing he saw was Hop talking to Sonia in front of said statue in the lobby. He came up behind him and shoved him gently. “Ya ditched me back there!”

Hop turned and saw Rico, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily. “Sorry, I got excited and wanted to see the hotel.”

“I almost couldn’t find it. A nice staff person led me here. I’ve never been here before and I don’t know where I’m goin’ so you can’t just up and run like that!”

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Hop said, raising his arms up.

Rico sighed. Hop was already forgiven of course.

“Hi, Rico.” Sonia said, reminding Rico she was there.

“Miss Sonia! Hi!”

“Hop was telling me you two got yourselves registered.”

Rico nodded. “Yup. Whatcha doin’ here?”

“I’m researching the mysterious Pokémon that are said to be in the Slumbering Weald.”

“I thought they were just, ya know, illusions or something.”

“Those Pokémon you saw may have been illusions, but I think they have the ability to project themselves onto the surrounding field. It might be how they have stayed hidden all this time. I figured if I looked into Galarian legends I might figure something out. Care to join me?”

She stepped aside so that Rico and Hop could get a closer look at the statue. It was a big, gold statue depicting a man in armor clasping a shield in one hand while thrusting a sword in the air with his other. Rico didn’t like the statue. It looked too much like a knight for his liking. Knights killed dragons.

“What’s this, then?” Hop asked.

“It’s a statue of the hero that once saved the Galar region.” Sonia explained. “I could run through the legend right quick, if you fancy?”

“Sure, give us all the details!” Hop said.

“Long ago… a great black storm covered the Galar region. People called it ‘the Darkest Day.’ The land was assaulted by gigantic Pokémon… but they were defeated by a single young hero bearing a sword and a shield. This statue is meant to depict the young hero of that legend.”

Rico growled. “Sounds like a murderer. Goin’ around killin’ things and callin’ themself noble because of it.”

“Oh, no, no! It wasn’t like that!” Sonia stated. “The Pokémon were going berserk. They didn’t kill the Pokémon, they just subdued them. When the Pokémon shrank back to their normal size they regained their senses and returned to the wild.”

“Then what the hell do they need the sword for? I get the shield, but swords are for stabbin’.”

“Well, we still don’t understand what kind of sword and shield the hero had.” Sonia said, resting her chin in her hand. “And whatever this ‘black storm’ is supposed to be is just another mystery… Whatever it was, it blotted out the skies all across Galar. I suppose that tracks with it being called the Darkest Day, but still…”

Hop put his hands on the back of his head. “Huh…I suppose that hero must have been as strong as Lee, then! Hey, Rico, don’t worry. I’m sure the hero didn’t actually hurt any Pokémon.”

“Some humans hurt Pokémon.” Rico muttered, thinking of Skewer. _Some humans hurt dragons, too._

Though they were extinct in his world, Rico still knew the stories he had been told as a hatchling, about how his ancestors were slaughtered by humans calling themselves knights, claiming they were saving the world from the monsters that plagued it.

He must have looked tense because Hop slung an arm around his shoulders. He slightly melted into the contact, enjoying the warmth that radiated off the human.

“So Sonia, looks like you’re going to have your hands full with plenty to research, though. Black storms and swords and shields and all...”

“I’ll muddle through somehow – don’t you worry!” Sonia said. “Anyway, you two are staying here at the hotel tonight, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you check in?”

“Probably so!” Hop said, removing his arm from Rico, much to the latter’s disappointment. “And we’ll look out for you too, Sonia. If we hear anything about any hero or whatnot, we’ll tell you.” 

And with that he headed for the stairs. Rico looked after him longingly.

“Hey.”

Rico turned to look at Sonia, who smiled at him gently.

“Thanks for always tagging along with Hop. I hope you can keep it up. Leon really worries about him, too. He practically raised him, after all.”

“Really?” Rico asked. He didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, it was interesting to have something in common with Hop. On the other hand, if Leon was doing most of the raising, then what was up with Hop’s parents? They appeared to be a part of his life, unlike Rico’s own. They seemed nice too. But then he thought of the photos in the living room. All had been of Leon. The only photos he recalled depicting Hop were the one in Hop’s room where he was posing with his brother and a tiny one of just Hop sitting on Leon’s desk. Rico wasn’t sure he was ready to open that can of worms yet.

“I won’t let anything happen to him.” Rico assured before climbing up the stairs himself. Hop was staring at a small crowd surrounding the check-in desk.

“I wasn’t expecting checking in would be such a big fuss. What’s going on?” He said.

People were complaining about the group in front not letting them check in. Rico maneuvered his way to the front desk to see four strangely dressed people. They were clad in torn up pink and black clothes with spikes on their shoulders, belts, and shoes. They even had spiky, pink hair.

 _I guess that means they’re real **sharp** folks. _Rico snickered to himself. He heard them arguing, rather loudly, with the clerk running the desk.

“We came all the way out to this big city so that we could properly cheer on Gym Challengers!” the skinny one in front yelled. “Team Yell is here to help, after all! You’re in for a battle if you wanna stop us!”

Team Yell? How appropriate. Rico was tempted to see how this played out, but they were holding up the line and terrorizing the clerk. Guess he’d have to intervene. He raised his hand like he was in school. “Hey, I’m up for that!”

The group spun around. Rico noticed that they also had pink and black face paint. There seemed to be a theme going on here. One of the bigger guys stalked up to Rico. Rico was not intimidated, staring him right in the eyes.

“Didn’t we tell you, mate? You get in our way, and you’re in for a battle!”

“I ain’t your mate, _pal_.” Rico said back.

The guy pulled out some kind of plastic horn, also pink and black unsurprisingly. “Team Yell’s all about helpin’… Helpin’ one very special trainer win the Gym Challenge, that is!”

_Special trainer?_

“We wanna make sure she gets cheered on nice and proper… and now you’re gonna help us make some noise!”

He blew his horn, whipped out a Pokéball, and sent out a Zigzagoon. It wasn’t like a typical Zigzagoon. It was black and white with red eyes. It looked pretty cool, but this was no time to admire it. Rico sent out Nugget. 

Rico checked Nugget’s move set real quick before ordering her to use Rock Smash. Nugget’s claws glowed and she smashed them into the Zigzagoon. With just one blow the Pokémon looked ready to keel over. Either Nugget was really strong, or this guy was really inexperienced. He ordered his Zigzagoon to use Lick, but Nugget dodged easily, finishing the raccoon off with another Rock Smash. The battle was over so quickly Rico wasn’t sure it was fair to call it a battle.

“Went lookin’ for a fight, and I lost… I’m so pathetic…” The guy lamented.

Geez. Rico wasn’t trying to destroy his confidence. Before he could apologize, the guy turned to his teammates.

“Oi, gimme a break here! Team Yell! Get revenge for me wouldja?”

Another one stepped up to confront Rico. He realized this one was a girl.

“Course I got you covered, mate! What could be better than a battle in a lovely hotel lobby?”

She sent out a Nickit and proceeded to hold up a banner over her head. The girl on the banner looked familiar. Didn’t he see someone like that in the stadium?

He distraction cost him the first move, and the Nickit struck Nugget with Quick Attack. Her sharp cry brought Rico back to the present, and he quickly ordered Nugget to use Sky Attack. It was risky, considering the move takes time to charge, but he was counting on his opponent not being very strong. Nickit went for a Beat Up attack. Poor Nugget had to endure it while she began to glow. Suddenly, surrounded in a bright white aura, Nugget flew up in the air in an arc and then slammed down onto the Nickit. It went down in one hit. Ouch.

“The swanky sophisticated air in here had me off my game! I couldn’t keep my cool!” she complained, returning her Nickit.

It looked like the last two thugs were going to advance. Nugget wasn’t looking too well having to go through two battles on her own. Rico was preparing to return her and face the two himself when Hop appeared beside him.

“You sneaking in Pokémon battles without me?" Hop asked, smirking. "Don’t think you can get ahead of me that easily... I need to get some training in, so I’m joining!”

Rico perked, loosening out of his defensive stance. They were going to battle together again!

“Who’s this kid?” One of the thugs asked.

Hop turned to face them and puffed out his chest.

“I’m Hop, one of this year’s Gym Challengers! And the one who’s gonna be the next Champion!” He pulled out a Pokéball. “Now let’s have us a nice two-on-two!”

“I can already hear my victory comin’!” the Yell members declared. “The only sound you’ll make is a whimper of defeat!”

They seemed pretty cocky considering half their team was just swept by one Pokémon. They sent out another Zigzagoon and Nickit. 

“You sure like your dark-types.” Hop said.

“Zigzagoon is a dark-type? I thought it was normal-type.”

“Galarian Zigzagoon are dark-type.”

Rico decided to return Nugget and send out Skewer. Hop sent out Scotch.

“I’ll get the Nickit.” Rico said. “Scratch!”

Skewer rushed the Nickit and clawed it up before it had a chance to react. Zigagoon tried to Tackle Scotch, but he was able to roll out of the way.

“Headbutt!”

Scotch turned around and rammed the Zigzagoon.

The battle didn’t last much longer than the first two. With one more Scratch from Skewer and a Double Kick from Scotch, both opponents’ Pokémon went down.

“I guess it was defeat I heard comin’…” they said as they returned their Pokémon. “I think I’m about to cry.”

“What’re you lot doin’ here?”

Everyone turned to face the new voice.

“Marnie!?” Team Yell exclaimed. “N-n-nothin’…we was just…”

“I know you’re terribly curious ‘bout the other gym challengers, but you gotta show a bit of restraint,” she scolded them.

Rico looked at the girl, then looked at the banner Team Yell was holding. “It’s you! You’re the girl on the banner!”

The girl turned to Hop and Rico. “Name’s Marnie. Sorry ‘bout them. They’re just a bunch of my fans. Call themselves Team Yell and follow me around, cheerin’ for me. I think they’ve let it all go to their heads a bit…”

“You got your own fan club? That’s awesome!” Rico said. 

Marnie’s Morpeko squeaked. Rico crouched down to get on her level.

“Hi Meeko. Good to see you again.”

“You know her?” Hop asked Rico.

“Yeah! I just remembered I met her in the stadium.” Rico said, standing up. “It’s nice to officially meet ya, Marnie. I’m Rico! This is Hop!”

Marnie nodded and turned to Team Yell. “Come on, you lot! Back home with you now!”

Team Yell sheepishly scurried out of the building. Wow! Was that alpha energy or what? And from someone that looked to be his own age. 

“They’re just so caught up with wantin’ to support me and all that they tend to get a bit shirty with other gym challengers.” Marnie explained. “Sorry if they caused you any trouble.” 

Rico cocked his head. “Shirty?”

“Irritable.” Hop explained, then turned to smile at Marnie. “And it was no trouble at all.”

Marnie gave a small nod before heading to the front desk to check in. Once she had her room key and headed to the elevator, no, the _lift,_ Hop and Rico approached the desk. They were flocked by a few trainers thanking them for chasing away the Team Yell creeps. Though Rico liked the attention, he didn’t think it was fair to call them creeps. They were loud and goofy, but they weren’t dangerous. And it was Marnie who disbanded them.

The very relieved clerk cheerfully greeted them and looked up their profiles to confirm they were challengers. He stated that the league booked a room for each of them and handed them their room keys, wishing them a pleasant stay.

Once on the correct floor, it took Rico a second to figure out how the keycard worked. Apparently, you were supposed to stick it in the slot in the door until a green light showed. Not that different from a credit card.

The room was big with a large bed tucked in the corner. A small door on the opposite wall led to what Rico assumed was the bathroom. He dropped his bag by the door and headed straight for the bed.

 _So soft!_ He snuggled into the sheets, purring. He didn’t want to get up, but he knew he couldn’t go to bed just yet. He took off his bag and let all his Pokémon out.

“So… who’s hungry?”

Two arms and a wing shot up.

“Great! I wonder if this place’s got room service.”

It was about half an hour when one of the hotel staff showed up with the food. They even had specials just for Pokémon. The bill was probably going to be ridiculous, but Rico could always make it back up by battling. It was pretty sweet that being a trainer also counted as a job, even as a chick.

Once everyone was satisfied, Rico happily crawled on the bed and rolled onto his back, tail dangling over the edge. He pulled out his phone and let it hover above him for a moment as he debated something in his head. It’s been a while. Maybe he could just call to say hi? 

He decided to bite the bullet and told Rotom to call the dojo’s number. The phone rang twice before picking up, and Mustard’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, Mr. Mustard!”

“Rico, my boy.” Mustard smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. How have you been?”

“I’m fine. Is everything alright at your dojo?”

“We just had two new students join us last week. They’ve been keeping things interesting, to say the least.”

“How’s Fescue?”

Mustard’s smile faltered the slightest bit. “He was saddened the first few days after your departure. I believe he blames himself for frightening you off.”

“Aw, Fescue… He knows I don’t hate him, right? Please tell him I said hi. And that I hope his cookin’ lessons have been payin’ off. He was makin’ some good soup there for a while.”

Mustard chuckled. “Yes, I’ll be sure to tell him. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to know you called. So what have you been up to?”

“Well, I’m in Galar at the moment. I think I’m beginnin’ to remember more stuff… Oh! And I made a new friend!”

“A new friend you say? Does he know about your… condition?”

“Yup. But he’s cool with it. I like him. His name is Hop.”

“Hop… I don’t suppose you’re talking about the little brother of Champion Leon.”

“That’s him! You know Leon?”

“Leon was a student of the dojo many years ago.”

“You mentored Leon? _The_ Leon? The amazing, handsome, kind, gold-eyed, ‘Champion of the entire Galar region’ Leon?”

Mustard outright laughed. “It sounds like you have a crush on him.”

“S’that obvious?” Rico had drawn his wings up to half hide beneath them when he suddenly remembered something. “Hey, wait! How come you never told me _you_ used to be the Champion?”

“That was over 50 years ago, my boy. A part of life that is so far in the past it feels like another lifetime. Would it really have made a difference in your perception of me?”

Rico shrugged. “It would have been cool, knowin’ your teacher was leadin’ Galar at some point.”

“I wasn’t the leader of Galar, Rico. I was merely Champion. It’s nothing more than a title. The Chairman is the one who runs the League.”

“I’ve heard of him. Chairman Rose, right?”

“It was a different Chairman in my time. Not a good person, but I suppose they all believe that what they are doing is for the sake of the Galar region, no matter how misguided they may be.”

Rico nodded, barely paying attention anymore as he was starting to feel tired.

“I just wanna say one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

“I wanna tell Hop the truth. About me not bein’ from… this world.”

“Are you sure that is wise? I don’t have doubts that your friend Hop is an understanding sort, but-”

“I feel bad keepin’ it from him. And he’s gonna know I ain’t from somewhere like Unova or Hoenn. I don’t know nothin’ about the culture and I bet there ain’t no dragons there either. If he’s gonna find out, I rather it be from me.”

“If that is what you feel you must do, then do it. He’ll appreciate your honesty in the end.”

Rico stifled a yawn. “It was nice talkin’ to ya, Mr. Mustard. Have a good evenin’.”

“Good night, Rico.”

Rotom hung up for him and settled itself onto the nightstand. Rico’s Pokémon were strewn across the room, all sound asleep. He figured he may as well join them.

He turned onto his side; tail curled around his form. He was a little nervous about telling Hop everything. Everything he remembered, anyway. But he felt like he had to. And Mustard was right. He’d at least appreciate his honesty, right? And they’d still be friends afterwards… right?

He yawned once more before tucking his wings in for the night. It was settled in his mind. He was going to tell Hop the truth. It was just a matter of when.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pulled Rico's number out of my a**.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ceremony begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to pump one out before Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day!

Hop woke to a sudden pounding on his room’s door. He rolled over and turned on his phone, squinting at the bright light that emanated from it as he checked the time.

2:23am

He blanched, pulling the covers up to his nose. Who the heck was at his door at this time of night?

He was contemplating sneaking over to the small closet where he left his bag, hoping to grab one of his Pokéballs, when a voice sounded from the other side.

“Hop! _Hop!”_ came a loud whisper. Kind of funny that Rico was concerned about keeping his voice down despite the fact he was pounding at the door loud enough to wake the entire floor.

The relief Hop felt was replaced by slight annoyance as he slumped out of bed to answer the door.

“Rico, it’s like 2 in the morning. What’s so urgent that you need to come knocking this early?”

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was beginning to realize how panicked the dragon looked. Rico was breathing shallowly, fists clenched at his sides, wings furling and unfurling. His eyes were glowing in the darkness of the room and his pupils had contracted into slits. Hop hadn’t realized Rico could even do that with his eyes.

Hop eyes snapped open when he fully realized the dragon was standing in the hall.

“Rico! You can’t be out like this! You’re exposed! Someone could see you-”

“Please! Ya gotta help me! Something…something’s wrong and I don’t know what to do!”

“Something’s wrong? With what? Are you okay?”

“It’s not me, it’s…arrrgh, just come on!”

Rico grabbed Hop’s arm and dragged him down the hall. Hop entered Rico’s room to see nothing out of the ordinary at first, until he laid eyes on Rico’s bed. The egg was there, loosely wrapped in blankets and glowing softly.

“I heard this weird noise in the middle of the night so I got up and looked around and I realized it was comin’ from my bag so I opened it up and the egg was shiverin’ like crazy and I didn’t know what that meant and I got scared so I put it on the bed and wrapped it in the blankets to try and keep it still but then it started glowin’ like this!”

Hop stared for a few seconds at the egg before chuckling in disbelief. 

“Rico, it’s fine. Nothing is wrong with the egg. It’s just getting ready to hatch.”

“It’s gonna hatch? Right here? Do we need to take it outside? Should I break open the shell to make it easier for the hatching to get out?”

“No! Definitely do NOT do that! Just let the egg do its thing.”

Rico’s other Pokémon had gathered around to the bed to see what was happening. Nugget even fluttered up onto the pillow to get a closer look. The egg shuddered, glowing brighter by the minute.

“Is it gonna explode?”

“No.” 

“Are ya sure?”

“The Wooloo eggs back on the farm never exploded. Pokémon eggs don’t explode.”

The egg started glowing full force. Rico made to move closer while Hop shielded his eyes. When the bright light finally faded, he lowered his arm. Rico was crouched at the edge of the bed, watching as a little Pokémon with comically large ears sat up and yawned.

“Piiiiiiiiiii…”

“Sorry, mate. Looks like you really did get scammed.” Hop said. “Pichu can be found all over Galar. There’s nothing rare about them.”

“I love it!” Rico carefully picked the Pichu up and cuddled it, tail vibrating not unlike the egg had been moments ago. 

_When his tail quivers like that… does that mean he’s happy?_

Hop had seen Rico wag his tail before, but it had been when he was facing down wild Pokémon like the one in the Slumbering Weald and the Liepard in the Wild Area. He quickly learned that action meant the dragon was angry. So... this must be how he expressed excitement.

“He’s so cute! Look at him! Look!” Rico held out the Pichu to Hop. He squeaked, looking at Hop curiously.

“Pi.” 

“Skewer! Tajin! Nugget! Look at this! It’s the newest member of our fleet!”

Rico lowered Pichu to the floor so that his Axew, Scorbunny, and Rookidee could all get a closer look. Pichu looked a little nervous being surrounded by the other Pokémon, backing up a letting out a few sparks. Rico pet the Pichu’s head to soothe him. “It’s okay. They’re nice.”

As if to prove it, Tajin walked up to Pichu and held up his fist. Pichu studied it for a moment before reaching up and touching Tajin’s paw. Rico smiled.

“Well, it’s good to see it all worked out.” Hop said. “I’m glad you like your new Pokémon.”

Before Hop could say or do anything further he found himself constricted in a tight hug. “I’m glad you were here for this.” Rico said. “I had no idea what to do. Thanks.” 

Hop stiffened. Rico had him partially enclosed within his wings as well. He was really one for physical affection it seemed. After a moment of hesitation Hop rose his own arms and hugged Rico back. 

“No problem.”

When he made to step back, Rico released him.

“I’d like to go back to bed now.”

“Right. Sorry about draggin’ you over here like that.” Rico reached back and nervously scratched at one of his horns. “I uh… I’ll see ya tomorrow. Actually I think it’s already tomorrow... Well then, I’ll see ya in the daytime.” 

Hop nodded and went back across the hall to his own room. That was a crazy turn of events. But Rico seemed so happy that Hop couldn’t bring himself to burst his bubble, even though Pichu and Pikachu were extremely common among trainers. Hell, so many people liked the way Pikachu looked it was actually rarer to find its evolved form, Raichu.

He crawled back into bed. The sheets had cooled considerably since he had left. He found himself thinking about the night he spent in the professor's house, where he woke to the warmth of Rico’s wing covering him. Did he do that on purpose, or did the dragon just happen roll over in his sleep?

He quickly shook the thought from his head. Rico didn’t think of him that way. And besides, he’s a dragon. That would make things weirder. He sighed and pulled the covers a little higher. Tomorrow (today) was a big day and he didn’t want to be half asleep through the ceremony. He could deal with this some other time.

************

Rico exited the lift to see Hop in the lobby practicing his throws. He decided to hold back for a minute to watch Hop a little longer.

Hop turned around and almost tripped over his on feet when he saw Rico standing there.

“Oh, m-morning Rico. How’s Pichu doing?”

“He’s great. Tajin and Skewer have really taken a likin’ to him.” Rico said.

“Good. That’s good.” Hop said. “So anyway, this is it. This is where my legend really begins.”

He smirked at Rico. “You better watch out, Rico! I’ll beat you to Motostoke Stadium!”

“Aren’t we gonna get breakfast first?”

“Nope! The Opening Ceremony starts in 30 minutes!”

“The Stadium’s down the street! It won’t take that long to get food.”

“But Rico-”

The dragon fixed him with a hard stare. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“Now you just sound like my mum…” Hop dramatically sighed. “Fine. Breakfast, then Stadium. NO detours!”

Rico grabbed his arm and pulled him to the stairs. “Let’s go back to that café! It’s right underneath the Stadium so it’ll be quick!”

They passed by Marnie near the entrance, Meeko perched on her shoulder. Rico stopped dragging Hop long enough to say hi.

“So the Gym Challenge is finally startin’.” Marnie said.

“Yup! Let’s do our best!”

“I’d wish you luck, but I’m afraid I’m goin’ to be the one to win.”

“No way!” Hop said, pumping his fist into the air. “I’m going to be the one to win!”

“No, I will!” Rico said. This was fun. “But first, food!”

And with that Rico raced out of the hotel.

Marnie turned to Hop. “Your friend sure is enthusiastic.”

“Mostly about eating.” Hop chuckled. “But yeah, he’s excited about the ceremony too.”

“You two know each other a long time?”

“Actually no. I only met him a little over a week ago.”

“Interestin’. You two seem incredibly close.”

Rico stuck his head back in the door and called out.

“Hop! If you don’t hurry up I’m gonna eat your share too!”

“Don’t even think about it!” Hop said a quick goodbye to Marnie before charging out the door.

Hop convinced Rico to get a meal to go so that they could eat it on the way to the Stadium. With all the distractions they were just going to make it at this point. They ran inside to check in, and are each handed their uniform kit and led into the locker room to they could change. It was empty at the moment, considering they were the last to arrive.

“I can’t wait for the first match!” Hop said while putting on his shoes. “Pretty soon I’ll have so many fans, I’ll have to fight ‘em off like Lee does!”

Rico looked over the blue and white uniform. He wasn’t allowed to wear his jacket on the pitch, so he’d have to keep his wings tightly folded against his back and hope they weren’t too noticeable.

“Does this look awkward?” Rico asked.

Hop looked up to see Rico looking over his shoulder as if he were trying to see his own back. The 141 looked good on him.

“What’re you talking about?”

“My wings. Are they visible? Can ya see them through the shirt?”

“…you kind of look like a hunch back.”

“Great.” Hop could see Rico’s wings move through the fabric as they drooped.

“You can buy the shirt in a bigger size. That would mask the shape of your wings. Just try to endure it for today and we’ll get a new one later.”

“Alright.” Rico grasped the back of his shirt to adjust it while repositioning his wings. “So now what?” 

“See that screen right there?” Hop pointed to a monitor hung up on the wall over the entrance to the pitch. “First the Chairman will come out with his opening speech, then they’ll introduce the Gym Leaders, and finally us challengers will get the cue to head on to the pitch.”

They exited the locker room to make their way to the pitch, but a staff member stopped Rico, pointing out he couldn’t wear his hat out onto the pitch.

“But I need it on!” Rico argued. “I have a…scalp condition.”

The staff member raised a brow, but took a step back just in case.

“It’s not contagious or anything.” Hop said, stepping in for Rico. “But he has to keep it on. It’s for his health.”

The staff member nodded and moved aside to let them pass. Rico could have hugged the life out of Hop. He was so awesome.

They joined the other challengers at the entry to the pitch. Rico noticed Marnie in the crowd, along with that rude older boy. Even he looked a little nervous.

Lights were flashing. Music was blaring. Rico watched as a heavy-set man in a gray suit smiled and waved as he walked to the middle of the field, flanked by a scary-looking blond woman and Leon. The man raised his arms and his voice boomed through the stadium.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I am Rose, Chairman of the Pokémon League!"

The crowd went wild.

"I know that everyone gathered here and everyone watching from home have all been waiting for this big moment! It is my pleasure to announce that finally – the Galar region Gym Challenge will now begin!"

Rico shuddered.

“You okay, mate?” Hop asked.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” No, he was not. Something about Chairman Rose made him more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. 

"Yes, the Gym Challenge!" Rose continued. "Participants must defeat the eight Gym Leaders and gather the eight Gym Badges to prove their skills as a Trainer! Only the most worthy will have the honor of challenging the greatest Champion in history!"

With this, he introduced Leon to the crowd. Leon smiled and posed as usual, but it seemed more mechanical than normal, nothing like the exuberance he expressed to the crowd in Wedgehurst.

"Now, I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!" Rose boomed, motioning to an entrance on the other side of the pitch where the Gym Leaders emerged. If the crowd wasn’t loud before it was ear-shattering now.

“The fighting farmer! Here’s the Grass-type expert, Milo!”

A short but buff freckled man in a green uniform and a straw hat waved to the crowd.

_He’s handsome. Wait, how come he gets to wear a hat?_

“The raging wave! It’s the master of Water-types, Nessa!”

A dark-skinned woman in a blue and white uniform sauntered on in. Rico noticed she had blue streaks in her hair and wondered if it was natural or dyed.

“The ever-burning man of fire! Here comes the Fire-type veteran, Kabu!”

An older man with grey hair and in a red uniform stepped confidently forward.

_Why does he have a towel around his neck? Did he just get out of the shower?_

“The silent boy of mystery! Allister, friend to Ghost-types!”

A small boy in dark, loose-fitting clothes shuffled into the field, head swaying side to side and face covered by a white mask. Rico though he caught a flash of purple in the eyeholes.

“The master of a fantastic theater! It’s the charming Fairy-type user, Opal!”

A very old woman wearing a pastel blue and pink uniform and some giant, fluffy, purple monstrosity around her neck strolled on in, using her umbrella like a cane.

_Hey, I wonder if she knows Mr. Mustard?_

“The ice-cold professional! Please welcome the Ice-type master, Melony!”

A woman dressed in thick white clothes with really big hair smiled and waved. Rico found her a tad intimidating.

“And last but not least, the tamer of dragons... It’s Raihan, the top Gym Leader!”

An extremely tall and dark man in a blue and red hoodie waved to the crowd, then proceeded to hold up his phone to take a selfie. Rico felt his stomach flip-flop.

“Unfortunately, we’re missing one, but...”

_Huh? Where’s the other Gym Leader? Are they late? Did they get lost?_

“These are the Gym Leaders that we in the Galar region are proud to call our own! And now, it is my pleasure to introduce: this year’s challengers!”

With that the challengers were being ushered onto the field. Rico tried to match the confident stride of the others around him as he stepped out into the field. He looked over at the stands and-

_Holy mackerel…_

The stadium was packed, people and Pokémon alike cheering. The sky overhead was clear and bright, sun shining down through the massive dome encasing the stadium.

Rico’s heart pounded. He puffed his chest out a little. This was amazing.

The ceremony finally started to draw to a close, and Rico dawdled a little before returning to the locker room to change back, correctly assuming that most of the other challengers had left by then. Hop was the only one left, already in his usual shirt and beginning to put on his shoes.

“Standing there on the pitch…in the stadium…in front of everyone.” Hop beamed. “There’s no words for it, but… I can barely contain myself! My heart’s racing! What did you think?”

“It was so cool! The Gym Leaders look incredible! I get why this is such a big deal!” Rico had moved to a different part of the room to change, struggling to get his uniform shirt off. He heard someone coming into the room and peeked around the corner. He perked up when he saw it was Leon. But before he could get too excited, he noticed someone else was with him…

It was the Chairman.

“Hop!” Leon greeted. “You made it at last!”

“Sure did!” Hop grinned. “And so did Rico. Hey, Rico!”

He waited for a few seconds before calling out again, but received no response.

“Huh? I guess he left.”

“So you’re one of the trainers our Champion endorsed himself! Welcome, and it’s a delight to meet you! I’m Rose, of course.” The Chairman said. Hop rose up to shake his hand, leading Rose to notice the boy’s wrist. "Oh, and what’s this?! I see you already possess a Dynamax Band! How wonderful! It seems you have been led here by the guiding light of the Wishing Stars. By the way, it was my wonderful company that invented those Dynamax Bands, you know!"

“That’s amazing!” Hop said, eyes sparkling.

“I dare say this year’s Gym Challenge is looking to be an absolute blast! That means the whole Galar region is in for some excitement! The Gym Challenge is an excellent opportunity to show off your Dynamax Pokémon!”

“And that’s exactly what I intend to do!” Hop declared, clenching his fists. “I’m gonna win the whole League and become the next Champion!”

Rose chuckled. “Now, I’m terribly sorry, but there is some urgent business I need to attend to, so I must be on my way. The best of luck to you.”

Leon seemed to visibly relax as soon as Rose exited the room. “The Chairman seems to be in high spirits today.”

He then turned to address Hop.

“Listen up, Hop. I know you’ve only just started on your path as a trainer. But if you want to win, you need to do more than just train your Pokémon. You need to train yourself, too.”

“I know, Lee.”

“By the way, do you know where your friend Rico has gone off to?”

“I think he already left. He might be waiting in the lobby.” 

“Has he met the Chairman yet?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“I… I just need to check up on the both of you.”

“Okay, I’ll go look for him.”

“I think I might tag along.” Leon said, following Hop out of the locker room.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan finally makes his appearance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter by far and I couldn't wait to post it.

Rico tucked himself in the corner of the showers, wings wrapped protectively around his form. He couldn’t explain why, but seeing the Chairman sent such a wave of fear through him that he felt the need to escape. He waited until he couldn’t hear any more voices in the locker room before tentatively poking his head out. The room looked empty. Good. He crept over to where he left his bag, finally getting the chance to put his red shirt on properly and slip on his jacket. He felt more comfortable as he gathered up the rest of his things, tucking them in his bag before slinging it over his shoulders. He turned to leave when a voice called out.

“Hey, kid!”

Rico turned around to see the tall Gym Leader from the pitch approaching him. What was his name? Raihan?

“So you’re the one that Leon endorsed.” Raihan smirked at him. 

Rico took a step back. “Yeah. Why?”

“You must be pretty tough. Leon won’t endorse just anyone.” Raihan said, stepping closer.

“You probably know already, but I’m the great Raihan. Dragon tamer, weather master, and strongest Gym Leader in all of Galar. Leon’s greatest rival as well.”

Raihan got even closer. 

“So I heard you’re not from around here.”

“W-what?”

“I mean not from Galar.”

“No. I… uh… I trained at the…”

Rico was glad his tail was gone because he’s sure it would be between his legs at the moment. He was uncomfortably close now.

“I was thinking we could stand to get better acquainted.” Raihan said, extending his hand out.

Rico slapped his hand away, claws digging in the back of Raihan’s hand.

“Ow! What the f-”

“Back off, pal!” Rico snarled. 

“Whoa, take it easy kid.” Raihan said, arms raised in a placating gesture. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Rico hissed.

“Rico?”

Rico glanced back to see Hop coming in.

_No! Stay back! Danger!_

“Rico, there you are.” Hop said. “I thought you’d left already, but we couldn’t find you in the lobby. Have you been in here the whole time? You just missed the Chairman.”

“Hey, Hopscotch.” Raihan said.

“Raihan! Good to see you again.”

Rico looked back and forth between the two of them.

_They… they know each other?_

“How’s the family been, Hop?”

“Great! Mum was really happy that Lee got to visit for longer than a day. And Lee endorsed me for the Gym Challenge this year!”

“You too, huh? I was just talking to your friend here about his endorsement.”

“This is Rico.” Hop explained. “Lee saw Rico’s potential as my rival and decided to endorse him too.”

“Did he now?”

“Yeah! So you better get ready for when the two of us show up at your gym!”

“Looking forward to it.” Raihan grinned. Did he have fangs?

“So did you get to talk to Lee today?” Hop asked.

“Not yet. I was hoping I’d get a chance to hang out with him after the ceremony.”

Rico narrowed his eyes, growling low in his throat. 

_He’s way too close to Hop!_

Rico wedged himself between Hop and Raihan, fixing the latter with a death glare.

“Hop, is that Milo fella the first Gym Leader we need to face?” Rico asked, not taking his eyes off Raihan.

“Yeah. He’s over in Turffield.”

“Then we oughta go now.”

Rico put his arm around Hop and began to lead him away.

“Hey, you okay, Rico?”

“Is that creep really your brother’s friend?”

Hop chuckled. “Raihan’s not a creep. And he’s a little more than just Lee’s friend...”

Rico glared over his shoulder at Raihan, making sure he wasn’t going to ambush them as they left.

_If that creep tries anything, I’ll debone him like a freakin’ trout!_

_************_

Raihan winced as the young trainers left the locker room, looking down at his hand. He didn’t think he was in danger of bleeding out, but the scratches were kind of deep. He’d better bandage it before he got blood all over the floor. He went for the first aid kit hanging on the wall. 

He literally had the supplies in hand right as Leon strolled on in with a warm smile on his face.

“Raihan. You’re still here?”

Raihan smirked. “Waiting for you, as usual. You didn’t get lost on the pitch, did you?”

“Actually I was talking to Hop a short while ago. He just left with his friend. Did you happen to see him?”

“Oh, I met the little bugger alright.” Raihan grumbled, slamming the kit shut. “You sure he’s the same one? He looks more, well… human.”

“It’s him, alright. I could tell by his eyes. Apparently, his kind can shapeshift.”

“Great. It’ll be like looking for a Ditto in a congress of Quagsire.”

Leon chuckled. “Not entirely since we already know what he looks like.”

“And you’re sure he doesn’t remember us?”

“He doesn’t. Well, I know he doesn’t remember me. Why?”

“He hates me!”

“What? What’re you on about?”

“Did you see any of what just went down? He gave me this!”

Raihan held out his injured hand to Leon.

“He attacked you?” Leon took Raihan’s hand in his own, taking the gauze from him and beginning to wrap it himself. “That’s strange. He’s been so friendly to me, Hop, and just about everyone else he’s met.”

“Maybe his memory is coming back?” Raihan suggested, enjoying Leon’s gentle caresses. “It would explain why he’s so hostile.”

“Only to you so far.” Leon pointed out.

“I don’t know, Lee. I still think he’s dangerous. What the hell were you thinking endorsing him like that? He’s not even human.”

“I know. But he’s actually pretty decent at handling Pokémon. You should see his Axew. And he’s Hop’s best friend and rival. I couldn’t endorse Hop and not Rico. That would look suspicious. Hop would start questioning why. And then what am I supposed to tell him?”

“And what? Do you expect him to make it all the way to the Wyndon championships? Even if he did, someone is going to eventually figure out what he is, dammit! And when _he_ finds out about Rico-”

“What am I supposed to do? Catch him and release him into the Wild Area? He’s not a Pokémon, Rai. Give me some time to figure things out. There’s more than one issue here.”

“And you’re okay with this _dragon_ traveling with your precious baby brother? Completely unsupervised?”

“Not unsupervised. Sonia is helping keep tabs on him. And according to her, Rico’s actually been very protective of Hop.” Leon said as he tied off the gauze, checking his handiwork.

“Protective, huh?” Raihan briefly thought of the way Rico got between him and Hop, like he was shielding the boy. “You know what that means.”

“What?”

“I think Rico likes your brother.”

“Well, it makes sense he’d like him considering they’re friends and all.”

“No. I mean,” Raihan leaned forward, smirking in Leon’s face. “Rico _likes_ your brother.”

“Wha-” Leon’s eyes went wide, and he dropped Raihan’s hand. “N-no. It’s not like that. They’re just friends…”

“Uh-huh. Like we’re ‘just friends,’ right?”

“You’re not a dragon, Rai.”

“Nope, but I’m the closest thing you’ve got. And if anyone here were to understand dragon-type behavior, it would be me.” Raihan bragged. “And I know that dragons happen to be extremely protective of their-”

“It’s not like that! They’re just kids!” Leon insisted. “Besides, it’s like you said. Rico isn’t human.”

“Hop doesn’t know that. On the bright side, Rico definitely won’t hurt your brother. Can’t say the same for anyone else…”

Leon groaned, completely exasperated by this point. 

“Look, I only have about a day before I have to get back to work and I’d prefer not to spend it arguing about dragons. Can right now just be about us?”

“Alright. Alright.” Raihan chuckled. “Why don’t you get changed and then we’ll go to that little hole-in-the-wall diner you like so much?”

“The one southwest of Motostoke? With the really good chips?” Leon’s eyes practically sparkled. 

“That’s the one. C’mon, I’ll make sure you don’t get lost.”

Raihan slung an arm around Leon’s shoulders, nuzzling the top of his head as they made their way through the hall.

“I look forward to the day we don’t have to do this in secret.”

Leon began snickering to himself. Raihan looked at him, confused as to what was so funny.

“What?”

“Sorry! It’s just…” Leon outright laughed. “It looks like the great ‘Tamer of Dragons’ has found the one dragon he can’t tame!”

Raihan shoved Leon into the wall.

************

Rico only relaxed once he was completely outside of the Stadium, finally letting go of Hop. Hop suggested they make a stop at the Pokémon Center before heading out. 

“It’d be good to get our teams in order before we head out, considering it’ll be a while before we see another Pokémon Center while we’re on the route. It’d also be a good time to take Pichu in for a checkup. Since he just hatched and all.”

Rico nodded absentmindedly, still reeling from everything that just happened. 

“You can go on ahead. I need a second.”

“Alright, then. What do you say we meet at the gate to Route 3? It’s to the west right past the Pokémon Center.”

“Okay.”

Hop took off and Rico took a moment to breathe and get his bearings straight. The ceremony, the Chairman, that Raihan. Going from excitement to fear to rage. It was overwhelming. And why did he feel so protective of Hop all of a sudden? Maybe he knew exactly why and just couldn't acknowledge it?

He wanted to shake it off for now and move on. He decided he had enough of a break and figured he’d feel better once he was out of Motostoke (and far away from Chairman Rose and Raihan). As he walked in the direction Hop ran off, he began to realize that the Pokémon Center was all the way on the other side of the city. He had just passed the alley next to the Budew Drop Inn when heard someone crying. Peeking into the alley, he saw a little boy and whom he presumed to be his older sister huddled around a crying child.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Rico asked.

“My Mincinno’s gone missing!” the child sobbed. “I’ve looked everywhere! What should I do?”

“I’m sure Minnie didn’t go far.” The girl said. “She just went off to play. She’ll come back.”

“Can I help?” Rico asked.

“Huh?” the kid sniffled and turned to Rico. “You’ll help me look for Minnie?”

Rico nodded.

“Thank you so much!” the boy said, his crying coming to a stop. “Minnie really likes to play in the water so I bet she’s hiding somewhere where there’s lots of water and she has a weird cry that sounds like ‘Mworp.’”

“You got anything that belongs to her?” Rico asked. “It’ll make it easier to find her.”

The boy handed Rico a small bell attached to a ribbon. It chimed pleasantly. “This is her soothe bell.”

“Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I find her. See ya!”

Rico took off around the corner, and once he was out of sight, he leaned in and took a good sniff of the bell. Once he was sure he had the scent, he started searching. He travelled down a set of stairs that led to a canal beneath the city, the murky water below dark and foreboding.

“Minnie? Mincinno, you down here? Hellooooo?” He looked around, but there was no sign of a gray, furry Pokemon anywhere, and Rico was not about to jump in the water to check if she was down there. He walked around some huge metal storage containers and came across a bubbling spot in the water. He peeked over the edge of the platform and yelped when was hit in the face by a big red fish. He peeled it off his face and discovered it was a Magikarp.

 _Not even worth eatin’,_ Rico thought as he tossed it back in the water. 

After wandering for some time he realized he lost the scent, and even worse than that, he was completely lost himself.

“Crap…”

He tried to retrace his steps, but couldn’t figure out how to get back to the upper level of the city. As he walked, hoping to see or smell something he’d recognize, he found himself in front of a large glass building framed by a long poster depicting Gigantamax Charizard. He stopped near the entrance and was just getting ready to call Hop on his phone when a familiar flash of orange hair passed by him.

“Rico?”

“Oh! Miss Sonia. And Scamp. Whatcha doin' here?”

The Yamper wagged his tail at the sight of Rico. He couldn’t resist giving him a pet.

“I'm getting some shopping done." Sonia said. "What are you doing here? Interested in buying a new uniform?”

“Yes. I mean no. I mean, I do need a new shirt, but I was actually looking for a Minccino.”

“Minccino?”

“Ya see, there was this kid next to the Budew Inn who was cryin’, so I asked what was wrong and he said that his Minccino ran off so I asked if I could help and he told me his Minccino liked playin’ in water so I went down into the canal – did you know this city’s got a big canal under it? – well anyway, I was searchin’ for Minccino down here ‘cause of all the water but she’s not down here and now I don’t know where I am.”

Sonia stared at him for a beat before asking, “So you were looking for a Mincinno and got lost?”

Isn’t that what he just said? “Yup.”

Sonia laughed. “You’re as hopeless as Leon.”

“That’s not fair! I’ve never been here before. I don’t know every nook and cranny of this city.”

“I guess you’re right. Leon’s been in Motostoke hundreds of times and still manages to get lost on his way to the Stadium. At least you have a valid excuse.”

She motioned for Rico to follow her. “Come on. I’ll help you search. I guarantee you Minccino won’t be down here. There’s a lot of water in the canal, but it’s not the cleanest.”

“There was a Magikarp in the water.”

“Magikarp can be found in puddles. They live everywhere.”

She led Rico through the canal and across a bridge until they were back at the entrance to the city, right next to the shopping district. 

“Okay, now I know where we are.” Rico said.

“You said that the Mincinno likes to play in water, right? Have you checked the fountain in front of Motostoke Stadium?”

“There was a fountain?”

Rico and Sonia headed back up the lift and Rico dashed into the Stadium’ courtyard. It was empty now that the ceremony had ended. There was, in fact, a large fountain spouting water into the air, creating a cool mist in the surrounding area. Rico poked around the fountain when he saw a small gray ball of fur splashing in the water.

“Aha! There ya are!”

The Mincinno let out a "mworp" at the sight of Rico and leapt out of the water, ready to run off.

“Wait! Wait! I’m not gonna hurt you! I’m here to take ya back to your trainer! He’s worried about you!” He quickly held out the soothe bell to Mincinno. The Pokemon sniffed it, apparently recognizing her trainer’s scent on it because she climbed up Rico’s arm and settled on his shoulder. Rico sighed in relief, perfectly happy to let the sodden Mincinno ride him as long as he got her back to her human. He exited the courtyard to see Sonia still waiting for him.

“I see you found Minccino.”

Rico nodded, careful not to jostle his passenger. “Thanks for helpin’ me. ’Preciate it.”

He made his way back to the alley with Sonia following. At the sight of her human Mincinno leapt off of Rico and wrapped herself around the boy’s shoulders, snuggling into his neck.

“Minnie! You brought Minnie back! Thanks for helping me find her!” the boy exclaimed, not caring in the slightest as he was drenched.

“No problem, kid. Take good care of her. She clearly likes you a lot.”

“Toldja she didn’t run away.” The other boy said. “If she didn’t like you, she wouldn’t wanna come back.”

Minnie’s owner nodded, then turned to face Rico.

“Thanks again! You can keep that soothe bell if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I don’t need it. Minnie’s already my best friend. But she’s so full of energy, I can’t take my eyes off of her for a minute.”

“This is our secret hideout.” The other boy said. “We’re gonna make a new gym here! And it’s gonna specialize in normal-types!”

“Cool!” Rico said. “Galar doesn’t have a normal-type gym, does it?”

“Only in the Minor Leagues.” Sonia said.

The kids gave each other a high five and waved at Rico and Sonia as they left.

“It was nice of you to help those children.” Sonia said.

“It was nothin’. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“You really like helping others, huh?”

Rico shrugged. “I guess.”

Rico stopped at the Pokémon Center for a quick checkup. After his Pichu received a clean bill of health, he exited the building to see Hop standing at the gate that led to Route 3, waving him and Sonia over. 

“Hi Sonia! Hey Rico, I’ve been waiting! What took you so long?”

“Sorry! There was this kid in the alley who lost his Minccino so I offered to look for her and he said she liked playin’ in water so I checked the canal but I got lost and then Sonia showed up and helped me find my way back to the upper part of the city and then she mentioned the fountain in front of the stadium and that’s where Minccino turned out be-”

“Whoa. Whoa. Slow down.” Hop made the time out signal with his hands. “You got lost searching for a Minccino?”

“You don’t gotta rub it in.”

“I’m not! Did you find her?”

“Yup. Found her in the fountain by the stadium. Got her back safe and sound and the kid gave me this.”

Rico held up the soothe bell.

“That’s a soothe bell, mate. It’s said to have a comforting chime that makes it easier to befriend Pokémon!” Hop explained.

Rico looked at the little bell with renewed interest, shaking it slightly to hear its chime. It was pleasant, he supposed.

“It might be a good idea to give it to your Pichu. What did you decide to call him, anyway?”

“Shorty.”

"Because he's small?"

"No. Like the shortstack of pancakes."

Sonia and Hop burst out laughing. Rico snorted, faint smoke trails betraying his annoyance.

“What’s wrong with Shorty? My cousin Ara had a Raichu named Waffles!”

Hop stopped laughing long enough to ask, “You have a cousin?”

“Yeah. She’s got a Sceptile named Laurel too.”

“So you’re remembering more now? Is your cousin a trainer too?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Sonia asked. Why was she looking at him funny?

“Well, Ara likes Contests a little more…”

“She’s a Coordinator?” Sonia asked.

Rico felt really bad for lying. He had wanted to tell Hop the truth, but didn’t plan on telling Sonia too! At least not yet. And anyway, it wasn’t a total lie. Ara really did have a Sceptile and Raichu, if playing Ruby version counted...

“Yeah…?”

“Pokémon Contests. Sceptile. I’m guessing she’s from the Hoenn region then.” Sonia surmised.

“The Hoenn region, huh?” Hop mused. “Maybe that’s where you’re from, Rico.”

“No!” Rico blurted. “I’m not. Ara just… trained there.”

“So you have a cousin that lives in a different region.” Hop shrugged. “I get that. Lee and I have a cousin that lives in Unova.”

“Really? What’s their name?”

“Iris.”

Rico was up in Hop’s face in an instant.

“Iris? Like 'former Dragon-type Gym Leader, now Champion of the Unova region’ Iris? _That Iris?_ ”

Hop drew back slightly. “Uh…yeah.”

Rico grabbed Hop by his jacket collar and shook him.

“You’re related to _Iris_ and ya never bothered to tell me!?”

“It never explicitly came up!” Hop shrieked. “You’ve heard of her?”

Rico let go of Hop to pump his fists.

“She’s only the coolest Dragon-type specialist to exist! She used to be a Gym Leader but became Champion after Alder, and she even defeated Team Plasma!”

“How do you know all this?” Sonia asked.

Rico froze. How was he supposed to explain he saw it all in a video game? “I…uh…saw it on TV?”

“So you really admire Iris, huh?” Hop asked. “I guess it’s not surprising you’d like dragon-type trainers. Hey, what about Lance?”

“Lance ain’t that great.” Rico scoffed. “I mean, I get that he’s strong, but he only has _one_ actual dragon-type! One! Aerodactyl and Gyarados don’t count!”

“Poor Raihan would be devastated to hear that.” Sonia giggled.

Rico snorted. The last person’s opinion he cared about was Raihan’s. 

“Well, now that you’re finally here, I say we have a battle, you and me.” Hop said, straightening his jacket. “We’ll get in a bit of training!"

“Right now? Why?” 

"Seriously? This is the moment when you play along and act pumped up for battle!” Hop said, pumping his own fists in excitement. “If you’ve gotta ask why we should bother training, you’ll never make it through the Gym Challenge!"

Rico narrowed his eyes. _Them’s fightin’ words!_

“Fine! You’re on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I can start using the Leon/Raihan tag since it's no longer just implied.


	21. Chapter 21

Hop and Rico stood at the entrance to Route 3, preparing to start their battle. Sonia had agreed to referee, and decided that it would be a 3-on-3 battle, since Hop only had three Pokémon to Rico’s four. Rico was fine with that, as he wasn’t ready to use Shorty in battle yet.

Hop rolled his right shoulder and tapped his Pokéball to the palm of his hand. Rico had seen him do this a couple of times before battle. Was it like his signature or something? Should Rico start posing before battle?

Hop sent out his Rookidee at the same time Rico sent out his, causing both of them to laugh.

“Rookidee vs Rookidee, huh? Let’s see if yours can keep up!”

As they traded blows, Rico quickly learned that Hop’s smaller Rookidee was faster, but Nugget had the bulk to stand up to attacks.

“Fury Attack!”

Hop’s Rookidee rapid-fire pecked away at Nugget.

“Just a little longer, Nugget!” It wouldn’t be much longer until Sky Attack was fully charged. “Now!”

Nugget flew upwards in an arc before smashing into Hop’s Rookidee, knocking him out.

“Rookidee is down!” Sonia called out.

“Not bad.” Hop complimented. “Nugget knows some powerful moves. But this match is just getting started!”

He whipped out his second Pokéball.

“Go, Snipes!”

Sobble appeared out of the Pokéball. Rico grinned.

“You named him! About time!”

Hop smirked before pointing at Nugget.

“Water Pulse!”

Snipes raised his little limbs up to form a ball of water between them, which he then threw at Nugget.

“Dodge it, Nugget!” 

Unfortunately, tired from the barrage of attacks she had endured, Nugget wasn’t able to get out of the way in time. She was hit by the full force of the attack, knocking her back in the grass. Though Nugget managed to get up, her steps were wobbly.

“Looks like your Rookidee is confused, mate!” Hop said.

“Confused Pokémon can still attack.”Rico said. “Use Rock Smash!”

Nugget’s talons glowed as she flew up, but completely missed Snipes, crashing into the ground.

“It looks like Nugget hurt herself in confusion.” Sonia announced.

“Sorry, Nugget. Good job though.” Rico said as he returned her. “Alright. Go Tajin!”

“A fire-type? Are you sure about that?” Sonia asked upon seeing the Scorbunny hop from foot to foot, a determined look in his eyes.

“Tajin hasn’t won a battle against Snipes yet.” Rico explained. “He doesn’t wanna stop ‘til he does.”

Tajin looked over his shoulder and nodded in agreement.

“Thought you were all about type matchups, Rico?” Hop taunted. “This wave is gonna crash right over you! Water Pulse!"

Snipes formed another ball of water and threw it at Tajin.

“Double Kick it!”

Tajin leapt up and kicked the ball of water like a soccer ball, causing it to splash harmlessly in the grass.

“Now use Flame Charge!”

Tajin lit himself on fire before ramming into Snipes. The Sobble was pushed back some, but barley showed any signs of pain.

“You should know that fire-type attacks don’t do much to water! Snipes, use Water Gun!”

Snipes shot forth a burst of water, but Tajin easily dodged it.

“Quick Attack!”

“Dodge it, Snipes!”

Snipes tried to move out of the way, but Tajin was much quicker than before. He struck the Sobble hard enough to send him sprawling in the grass, though he got back up quickly.

“You okay, Snipes? Use Water Gun again!”

“Quick Attack!”

Tajin easily dodged Snipes’ second attempt at a Water Gun and rammed into him again.

“We gotta slow that Scorbunny down! Use Bind!”

Snipes managed to grab Tajin as he sped by again, wrapping the Scorbunny tightly with his tail.

“Gotcha now! Water Pulse!”

“Tajin, Flame Charge!”

Snipes launched a ball of water point-blank at Tajin at the same time the Scorbunny lit himself on fire. Despite dousing the flames, the heat was enough to force Snipes to loosen his tail on Tajin, allowing the Scorbunny to break free. Though shaky, Tajin was still standing.

Hop gaped. “How did he survive that hit? That Water Pulse was point-blank!”

“It only put out the fire!” Rico said. “Tajin was able to dodge the brunt of the attack!”

“That was quick thinking.” Sonia said, impressed.

“You’re pretty tough when you get serious! But that’s not gonna be enough to stop us! Snipes, use Round!”

Snipes let out a high-pitched cry that caused Tajin to grab at his ears, trying to cover them.

“Use Quick Attack to get out of the way!”

Tajin lurched to the side and sped at Snipes.

“Water Pulse!”

“Double Kick!”

Snipes let loose another blast of water that Tajin leapt right over, finishing the Sobble off with a well-placed Double Kick right to the head.

“Snipes is unable to battle!”

“You did it, Tajin!” Rico cheered. Tajin ran over to his trainer to give him a fist bump.

Hop returned Snipes with a sigh. “Good effort out there, Snipes.” 

“Now I see what you were doing there with Flame Charge.” Sonia said. “You were using it to raise Tajin’s speed so it would be easier for him to dodge.”

Rico nodded. “And it worked!”

“Clever.” Hop said as he sent out his final Pokémon. “But it’s not over yet! Let’s finish this Scotch! Headbutt!”

Scotch bleated as he rammed Tajin.

“Tajin! Flame Charge!”

“Copycat!”

Both Pokémon lit themselves on fire and crashed into each other, even matched.

“Tajin, Double Kick!”

“Defense Curl, Scotch!”

Scotch quickly curled up as Tajin ran in for the kick. Scotch rolled across the field, coming to a stop back on his feet.

“Nice job, Scotch! Now you use Double Kick!”

Scotch rolled rapidly to Tajin before whipping around and striking him with both his hind legs. Tajin fell back, but quickly got back on his feet. 

“You good, Tajin?” Rico received a nod. “Alright, then use Ember!”

Tajin spat a flame at Scotch. 

“Dodge it, Scotch!”

Scotch quickly rolled out of the way of the flame. Rico couldn’t believe how fast Scotch was moving all of a sudden.

“But… how?” 

“Flame Charge.” Sonia explained. “When Scotch copied Tajin’s Flame Charge, he got the speed boost as well.”

“That’s right!” Hop smirked. “Now use Headbutt!”

Scotch rammed into Tajin again, spending the Scorbunny sprawling. Tajin was struggling to get up this time.

“Hang in there, Tajin! Use Quick Attack!”

Tajin didn’t move.

“Tajin?”

“He’s flinching from the Headbutt!” Sonia explained.

“Now’s our chance!” Hop exclaimed. “Finish him with Double Kick!”

Scotch kicked Tajin down, and this time Tajin did not get back up.

“Looks like Tajin is down.” Sonia announced.

Rico looked down at the rabbit at his feet. Despite the loss, he smiled.

“Thanks, Tajin. You was amazing.” He returned Scorbunny and sent out Skewer. “It’s up to you, buddy! Scary Face!”

Skewer snarled at Scotch, who took a step back, intimidated by the Axew.

“You may think you’ve backed us into a corner, but you’d be wrong!” Hop shouted. “This’ll just make my victory all the better! Scotch, Headbutt!”

“Dragon Rage!”

It was a tough battle, neither side giving an inch. But thanks to a Bite from Skewer managing to land a critical hit on Scotch, Rico nabbed a victory.

He had to sit down after that. Battling was fun, but intense! Even if he wasn’t the one doing the fighting. Skewer ran over to his side and Rico scratched his horn. The Axew happily leaned into the scratching.

“Great job, Skewer!”

Hop looked disappointed that he lost as he tended to his Wooloo, but he still smiled at Rico.

“Just what I’d expect from my rival!” Hop said as he approached Rico. “You know what? I’ll even give you one of my League Cards! That’s how good I think you did in that battle.”

Rico happily took the card from Hop. It depicted Hop wearing his uniform and grinning widely with his hands behind his head. Rico had to admit he looked pretty ~~cute~~ cool.

“Hey, I haven’t made one of these yet.” Rico said.

“I made mine right after the ceremony at the Pokémon Center.” Hop said. “Don’t worry. You can make your own once we get to Turffield! It’s not too late!”

“Good! I wanna give you one too.”

"Our Gym Challenge starts right now – from here in Motostoke! You’d better believe I’m going to keep on winning my way to that Championship Match!"

Rico watched in amusement as Hop turned and ran off along the route, chanting, "Hello, Galar! Meet your next Champion! From the sleepy town of Postwick – it’s me, Hop!"

“You better hurry along if you want to catch up to him.” Sonia said.

“What about you?” Rico asked.

“I’m heading the same way. I’ll see you two at Turffield.” Sonia said before making her own way through the route.

Rico decided to make one last detour to the Pokémon Center before heading out himself; both to heal his Pokémon and buy a few items. Though Rico was sure Hop had his own potions, it never hurt to have a couple more, right?

He was in the process of stuffing them into his bag as he stumbled on out, swinging the bag onto his back, wincing when the extra weight pushed against his wings, before taking off down Route 3.

************

It was taking a while to catch up to Hop. He had to battle a couple of trainers along the way. Many of them had just left the Opening Ceremony themselves and were hyped for battle. One trainer had a Vulpix that nearly tore apart his Pichu. Seeing as Nuzzle wasn’t doing much to his opponent, Rico called for Shorty to use Volt Switch and was surprised when the move caused Shorty to switch out with Skewer. Skewer easily finished the Vulpix with a few good Scratches. After the battle Rico had Rotom explain the move Volt Switch to him and learned that it’s supposed to make the user switch out with a party member. He realized this could allow Shorty to get enough experience to level up without actually having to battle. When the next trainer challenged him with a Pancham, he tried the same tactic, Volt Switching Shorty out for Nugget this time. He couldn’t remember if Pancham was a dark-type or fighting-type, but either way, it went down in a couple of Pecks.

After passing the trainers he wandered through the twisting, hilly path, hoping he was headed in the right direction. A bad smell caught his nose and, despite his better judgment, decided to try and find out what it was. He came across a a pair of small green garbage bags situated at the base of a ledge.

_What’s wrong with people? Throwin’ trash everywhere, treatin’ the world like it’s their personal garbage can._

Rico was stewing over these thoughts when the bags suddenly opened their eyes and began to walk away. He shrieked, nearly falling over in his surprise. He whipped out his Rotom Phone and begged it to tell him what those things were. It explained the bags were a Poison-type Pokémon called Trubbish. Apparently they ate the garbage around these parts. A literal living bag of trash. He couldn’t decide if that was creepy or funny. He stared off in the direction they went as he walked, quite literally bumping into Sonia as a result.

“Sorry, miss.”

“Oh. Heya, Rico. I thought you would have caught up to Hop by now.”

“He ran on ahead.”

Sonia giggled. “He can’t sit still, can he? He really wants to catch up to his brother.”

“I’ll bet. Leon is amazing. Hey, did you know there a Pokémon that’s a literal walking trash bag? I bumped into one and thought it was just a pile of trash but then it started movin!”

“Yes, that Pokémon is called Trubbish. They tend to show up in unsanitary places. I believe the reason they can be found along here is because of the pollution.”

“Pollution?”

“Well, you see that building in the distance?” Sonia pointed to a pair of tall smokestacks tucked between two rock formations. “It’s a company owned by Chairman Rose.”

Rico shivered at the mention of the Chairman again. Sonia didn’t seem to notice.

“Just past Route 3, there’s a mine where they dig up ore.” Sonia continued.

“Ore? Ya mean like platinum and copper and coal and stuff like that?” The thought of all those minerals was enough to make him drool.

“For the most part. Anyway, that building over there processes it into energy. In other words, the Chairman is responsible for providing Galar with energy, too. Unfortunately, it’s not cleanest or most efficient process, so we end up with a lot of waste. That’s what causes the pollution.”

“Maybe he oughta start lookin’ for a new source of power.”

“That’s what the Chairman is said to be doing research into now.”

“Then maybe the Trubbish around here are a good thing, if they’re eatin’ all the garbage.”

“I guess that’s one way to look at it.” Sonia shrugged. “Well, thanks for having a chin-wag with me.”

Rico looked at her curiously. “Chin-wag?”

“A little talk. Chat. Conversation.”

“Why do ya call it a chin-wag?”

Sonia shook her head. “Nevermind. You go on ahead. The way to Turffield is pretty long, but that’s like a challenge in its own right.”

“Alright. Nice talkin’ to ya, Miss Sonia.”

With that Rico took off before Sonia could ask him anything else. He saw Hop up ahead battling another trainer on the path and watched as the trainer’s green flower-like Pokémon went down. Hop was praising his own Pokémon. When did Hop get that Pokémon? It looked a bit like Snipes, but it was taller.

After Hop collected his prize money, he turned around to see Rico.

“Hey! You finally caught up, huh? Looks like it’s 3 to 1 at this point.”

Rico wanted to stick his tongue out at him but thought better of it.

“When did you get that Pokémon?” he asked instead, pointing at the blue reptile-like Pokémon.

“You don’t recognize him? That’s Snipes. He just evolved.”

“He did!?” Too bad Rico missed it. He had never seen a Pokémon evolve for real.

“Yep! He’s a Drizzile now!”

“Can’t believe I missed it.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see one of your own team evolve soon.”

“Really?” Rico thought of Skewer, Nugget, Tajin, and Shorty. He knew Axew’s evolved form was Fraxure. Pichu evolved into Pikachu, but there was no way he was close enough to Shorty for him to evolve; he just got him. He wasn’t sure what Scorbunny or Rookidee evolved into. “Ya think Skewer might evolve soon?”

“I’m not sure. Dragon-types typically take a long time to evolve, so probably not.”

Rico sighed. It might be a while yet.

They continued down the rocky path, going over hills and twists and turns even battling a delivery man and meeting a few campers on the way who gave them berries. There were a lot of twists and turns, and it seemed they were going uphill quite a bit.

“I’d fly the rest of the way if I wasn’t scared of bein’ seen.” Rico whined. “Walkin’ is takin’ forever!”

“Well, we do have access to Flying Taxis.” Hop mentioned.

“Huh?”

“The app is on your phone, you know. It’s another gift from the Chairman for all the challengers of the league.”

Rico stared at Hop. “Ya mean all this time we could’ve been flyin’?”

Hop rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, technically yes, but it’s discouraged for new challengers to use the taxis to jump ahead. It’s considered cheating, you see? You didn’t prove that you could get through the obstacles yourself.”

Purposefully handicapping yourself? That’s like telling dragons they weren’t allowed to fly just because hatchlings couldn’t.

“Speaking of flying, can I ask you something?” Hop said.

“What is it?”

“When you’re able to turn into a dragon again, can I ride you?”

“WHAT!?” Rico stared at Hop in shock. The boy stared back, starry eyed.

“At least once! Lee rides his Charizard and it’s the coolest thing! Imagine how amazing it would look to ride an actual dragon!”

Rico was imagining it all right. Imagining being crushed under Hop’s weight. Granted, Hop probably wasn’t _that_ heavy, but the idea of _anyone_ trying to climb on his back…

“Gonna be a hard no.”

“Aww, c’mon. It would be so majestic!”

“I said no.”

Hop called him a killjoy before they continued on.

It was late afternoon by the time they finally reached the mine. The entrance was huge and framed with brick and metal. The inside looked a little dark. Nothing a dragon’s eyes couldn’t handle though.

“Once we get through this mine it’ll be a straight shot to Turffield.” Hop said. “You ready?”

Despite his tiredness, one look at Hop’s glittering eyes seemed to revitalize all of Rico’s energy. “I’m ready for anything!”

Bonus art!


	22. Chapter 22

The interior of the mine wasn’t as dark as it appeared from the outside. There were lanterns hung from the walls that provided a dim glow, illuminating the walls around them. Rico could see all kinds of sparkling stones and minerals jutting out from the walls, immediately finding himself drawn to them. Parts of the mine were roped off, due to dangerous conditions or work he wasn’t sure. There were no signs posted. There was plenty of equipment strewn around. Crates, shovels, sandbags, and even a broken mine cart were lined up behind the ropes. A railway cut through the middle of the path, trailing further and further into the depths of the mine.

“I think those tracks lead the way out of the mine.” Hop said out loud. He turned around to see Rico facing a cart. He appeared to have something in his hands.

“Hey, what’re you doing, Rico?”

Rico turned around to face Hop, jaws working like he was chewing on something hard. Hop could hear the audible crunching. He looked down at Rico’s hands, at first thinking he was holding a large rock only to realize it was some kind of blue ore. It had jagged chunks missing from it, almost as if something had taken a bite out of it-

_Arceus… Is he eating that?_

“Um, whatcha got there?”

Rico swallowed before answering. “Not sure. It’s some kind of ore I’ve never tasted before.”

“Before? You mean you regularly eat this kind of stuff?”

“Yeah. S’good for fire-breathers like me. Want a bite?” 

“No thanks!” Hop said, waving his hands in front of him. “I, um…humans don’t really…”

Rico laughed. “I’m kiddin’. I know humans can’t digest this.”

Hop stared for a minute before laughing himself.

“Funny. Anyway, I was thinking we should split up.”

“Split up?” Rico asked in between bites. “Why?”

“Good way to get some training in. We can both meet up at the end of the mine.”

“But I don’t know how to get through here. I’ve never been here before. What happens if one of us gets lost?”

“You see those tracks over there?” Hop pointed to the railway tracks. “If you get lost just follow the tracks. They lead the way out of the tunnel.”

“…Okay. But if I get lost, you’re comin’ to find me.”

“Deal. Don’t eat anyone while you wait.”

“No promises.”

They split up at the start of the tracks, Hop running on ahead while Rico poked his head through the various tunnels. He got excited when he found what he thought was a lump of coal. He picked it up, ready to take a bite out of it, when it suddenly let out a cry. He practically threw it across the tunnel in horror, watching as it turned and glared at him with a single red eye before rolling off into the darkness.

Did everything in this world have a face? He looked suspiciously at an orange cone as he exited the tunnel, bumping into a worker. Rico expected to be reprimanded for wandering into the deeper tunnels, but was instead challenged to a battle. His Roggenrola was easily taken down by Skewer. As he moved on, he noticed a lot of workers had Pokémon like Timburr, Roggenrola, Diglett, and that coal Pokemon he learned was called Rolycoly. When they weren’t battling, they were carrying tools or even transporting ore. It was clear that the Pokémon helped the workers mine. It was amazing to see humans and non-humans happily working together.

He found more ore piled in a mine cart and started to reach in, but was quickly chased off by a worker for trying to “steal.” Rico apologized to the worker and she decided to settle it with a Pokémon battle as well, her Timburr quickly succumbing to Nugget’s Sky Attack. After that he concluded that any ore stacked in crates or carts were off limits, but anything still stuck in the wall was fair game. Humans might think it’s gross, but the metal deposits were crucial for fire-breathers like himself and Scourge. Contrary to what humans believed, dragons did not have some kind of magical flame in their bellies that allowed them to breathe fire. If that were true then every time they drank water the fire would go out! He remembered there was a whole biology class on it, but Scourge had explained it to Rico as them using the rocks they eat to ignite the gas they use to breathe fire. When Rico asked where the gas came from, Scourge said it came from the food they ate and was stored in their bodies. When Rico was smaller, he used to wonder if they really were storing gas why it didn’t make them inflate like balloons. Scourge had laughed at him.

Feeling that he wandered around enough, he started following the tracks to find his way out. At one point he heard what sounded like a cart coming up behind him, so moved off the track and watched as a living cart of coal blazed past him. He shook his head and looked again. Did that just happen? He probably shouldn’t be surprised by this kind of thing now. The tracks ended just before a bridge, but picked up on the other side. Fluffy, bat-like Pokémon Rico was sure were called Woobat flew in the air space above and below the bridge. He was tempted to try and nab one out of the air, but his fear of getting caught with his wings out outweighed his predatory instincts. Not to mention he didn’t think people would be too keen on him hunting a Pokémon, especially Hop.

There was light coming from the end of the tunnel, and Rico could smell the fresh air. While he kind of liked the cave-like atmosphere of the mine, he was elated to finally be on his way to his first ever Gym battle. Some of his enthusiasm dampened, however, when he saw the figure standing in front of the exit.

“Coming this way? I’d advise against it.”

Rico couldn’t believe it. It was that rude boy from the Opening Ceremony!

“Any Trainer with a Wishing Star is in for a beating from me and my Pokémon.” The boy stated smugly.

Rico was instantly on edge, eyes narrowing. What did he want with Wishing Stars? Was he going to try to take Rico’s? “You! Who the hell do ya think ya are?”

The boy ran his hand through his hair. “The name’s Bede. You’re one of the Challengers endorsed by the Champion, aren’t you?” He gave Rico a quick glance over. “Pfft. What a joke.”

Rico growled. Bede was unmoved, prattling on.

“You are aware that the Chairman is more important than the Champion, right? I was chosen by the Chairman himself, so that makes me more amazing than you!”

“Congratulations.” Rico deadpanned. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

Bede scowled at him. Rico took a little satisfaction seeing how that aggravated him.

“I suppose I should prove beyond doubt just how pathetic you are and how strong I am.”

Rico tensed, getting ready to pounce, but paused when he saw Bede pull out a Great ball. That’s right, Pokémon battles were how they settled differences here. They weren’t all just for fun. Pity.

Bede sent out a round, green Pokémon that floated in the air. Rico had seen something like it before. Ara had one in her game. Reuniclus?

Rico sent out Shorty.

“Ha! You think a tiny rat like that stands a chance?” Bede taunted. “Solosis, Confusion!”

The telekinetic force knocked Shorty off his feet, but he quickly got back up. Looks like all the experience switching payed off.

“Shorty, Nuzzle!”

Shorty rubbed his cheek pouches, then latched onto Solosis and started rubbing against it, shocking Solosis.

“Shorty? You actually named your Pokémon that? How pathetic.” Bede scoffed.

“Better than bein’ named after a vegetable!” Rico barked. “Show him, Shorty! Sweet Kiss!”

Shorty blew a kiss at Solosis, causing the floating Pokémon to wobble in the air.

“You think confusing my Pokémon is going to be enough? Solosis, Endeavor!”

Rather than attack, Solosis flew straight into the wall, knocking itself out on impact.

“Hurt itself in its confusion.” Rico said mockingly.

“That’s nothing.” Bede said, returning Solosis. “I’m just giving your Pokémon a chance to shine. That’s all.” 

“Why, thank you.” Rico said.

Bede clenched his next ball a little harder, throwing it with a bit more force than necessary. A small, black and pink Pokemon was sent out next. Gothica? Gothra?

“Gothita, Psybeam!”

“Shorty, Volt Switch!”

Shorty was unfortunately hit by the pink energy beam, but not before the orb of electricity hit Gothita in turn. The Pichu was quickly switched out for Skewer.

“Bite!” 

Skewer chomped down on Gothita’s middle. It did more damage than Rico expected. He knew Solosis was a psychic-type. Gothita must’ve been psychic too. 

“Get that Axew off you! Pound!”

Gothita repeatedly hit Skewer’s snout until he let it go, quickly leaping away from him.

“Now use Psybeam!”

“Skewer, Dragon Rage!”

Their attacks clashed in the middle, exploding and stirring up a cloud of dust.

“Bite one more time, Skewer!”

Skewer charged through the dust and bit down on Gothita once more, swinging his head to throw the Pokémon onto the ground.

Bede was looking more frustrated by the second. “Oh dear. What have I been doing?” He looked down at an over-sized gold watch that Rico eyed hungrily. “Well, whatever. Let's just get this over with.”

Rico had noticed a pattern to Bede’s Pokémon. He seemed to favor psychic-types. If that were the case, he’d bet his last Pokémon would be psychic-type as well.

The last Pokémon he sent out was a strange one. It looked like a pink party hat with feet. Despite its silly appearance, Rico found it to be rather unnerving.

“Disarming Voice!”

The hat Pokémon let out a shrieking cry, forming a heart-shaped barrage that collided with Skewer, throwing him way back.

“Skewer, you ok?”

That attack hit really hard. It even made Rico tremble. Skewer was struggling to get back up. What kind of attack was that?

“Don’t you know anything? Dragon-types don’t stand a chance against fairy-type moves.” Bede smirked. “Looks like the Champion may have made a mistake, endorsing you. Don’t even know your basic type matchups.”

Rico was a hair trigger away from forgetting the battle and ripping that smirk off of Bede’s face with his own claws. But Fairy-type? Since when was there a fairy-type? Is that why Disarming Voice did so much damage?

“Don’t give up, Skewer! Bite!”

“Hatenna, finish him off with another Disarming Voice!”

Skewer made to rush at Hatenna, but the second Disarming Voice was enough to put him down. Rico grit his teeth, both at the loss and the residual energy of that attack passing through him. If that’s how bad the leftovers made him feel he couldn’t imagine getting hit by an attack like that head on.

He returned Skewer and looked forlornly at his ball.

“Sorry, buddy. Next time I’ll know better about fairy-types.”

He turned to glare at Bede, grabbing his next partner and sending him out.

“Tajin, I’m countin’ on you!”

The Scorbunny emerged from his Pokéball in a fiery display, all revved up and clearly excited for battle.

“Flame Charge!”

Tajin lit himself on fire and charges into Hatenna.

“Time to end this quickly.” Bede said. “Hatenna, Psybeam!”

“Dodge it, Tajin!”

Hatenna let loose a pink energy beam that Tajin easily dodged, his speed raised by Flame Charge.

“Quick Attack!”

“Round!”

Tajin sped towards Hatenna and managed to strike it, but was blown back by the sound waves of Round.

“Tajin!”

The Scorbunny doubled over and started to tremble.

“Looks like that one is weak too.” Bede said smugly. “Just one Round and he’s-”

Bede was cut off when Tajin began to glow. The glow lit up the entire cavern to the point where both trainers had to cover their eyes. When the light faded, a taller rabbit with long, floppy ears stood in the place of Rico’s Scorbunny.

“Tajin?”

The red-eyed rabbit looked back to Rico and nodded. The fur covering the lower half of his face looked like a red scarf. Rico was sure he was smirking under there.

Rico nodded back. “Gotcha, buddy! Flame Charge one more time!”

The rabbit whipped back towards Hatenna, igniting himself and charging at full speed.

“Hatenna, Round!”

The sound waves did little to slow down Tajin this time, the attack dealing damage, but not enough to stop him from colliding with the Hatenna and send it sprawling across the ground, coming to a stop at Bede’s feet.

“In! Your! Face! Punk!” Rico cried triumphantly, fist bumping Tajin when the rabbit returned to his side.

Bede whispered something to his Hatenna before returning it to its Great ball, giving it a look Rico would almost describe as soft. It was gone the moment he looked up at Rico.

“I see... Well, that's fine. I wasn't really trying all that hard anyway.”

Rico snorted. “I don’t know what your problem is, but I bet it’s hard to pronounce.”

Bede scoffed as he ran a hand through his hair again. 

“That was… unexpected. I suppose you're more capable than I thought. Naturally, I'll remember your battle style and strategies now. I'm sure to easily defeat you if we face each other in an official match."

“And I’ll be sure to kick your ass twice as hard, puffball!” Rico snarled, taking a threatening step forward. He noted with a little dark satisfaction that Bede took a step back.

“Anyway, now that we've established that, I won't waste any more time on you. I've already gathered every Wishing Star in this area.” Bede turned and speed walked through the exit of the tunnel. Rico waited until he was out of sight before sticking his forked tongue out in his direction. What a brat.

He looked down at Tajin, who buried his paws in his pocket-like fur. Rico reached out to pet his head. So fluffy! His fur was definitely thicker than before. 

“So what are ya called now?” he asked. 

“Hey, Rico! There you are!” 

Rico looked up to see Hop coming in the tunnel he was about to exit.

“You were taking a while to get through, so I hung back and waited. It wasn’t all that bad, though. I found a star piece! These things are worth a fortune!” 

It was then he noticed the Pokémon standing by Rico’s side. “And your Scorbunny evolved! That’s wicked, mate!”

Rico grinned. “Thanks. It happened during battle.”

“While you were battling one of the workers? There are a lot of them that like to battle on their breaks.”

“Actually no. I mean, I did battle some workers, but it wasn’t them.” Rico frowned. “It was that rude human from the Opening Ceremony. Apparently, his name is Bede and he was endorsed by the Chairman or something.”

If that punk was the kind of person the Chairman saw fit to endorse, Rico was right to be suspicious of him.

“Endorsed by the Chairman, huh? That’s something alright.”

“No it ain’t! He’s a jerk! He tried to take my Wishing Star!”

“What?”

“He was all ‘any trainer with a Wishing Star is in for a beatin’ and then I kicked his a- Butt! I kicked his butt! And then Tajin evolved into… this.”

“Scorbunny’s evolved form is called Raboot. It should be in your Pokedex.”

Rico pulled out his phone and looked it up. Sure enough, there was Raboot’s picture. Their fur really is thicker than Scorbunny’s, allowing for hotter fire attacks. They’re also really good at kicking things.

“That’s awesome! Tajin, you’re gonna rock the first gym!”

Tajin kept his paws in his fur but stood up a little straighter, eyes burning with determination.

“Well, we’re right on the cusp of Turffield. Route 4 is pretty short, but it’s getting late, so we should look for somewhere to set up camp. There’s a pop-up Pokémon Center right outside the mine, so if you need to rest your Pokémon…”

“I do.” Rico said forlornly. “Shorty and Skewer got roughed up pretty bad in that battle.”

As Hop led him to the lady who ran the unofficial Pokémon Center right at the base of the trail, Rico looked up Hatenna on his phone. Apparently it was a psychic-type, but it could learn fairy-type moves and even evolved into a fairy-type.

“Hop, what do ya know about fairy-types?”

“Fairy-types?” Hop repeated. “Well, they’re uncommon. I think they were first discovered in Kalos. At least I remember reading that somewhere. One of the Gym Leaders here specializes in fairy-types. Swirlix and Milcery were fairy-types too. They’re strong against dark, fighting, and dragon. Dragon-type attacks also have no effect on fairy.”

“How do ya know all this stuff?”

“I do my research.”

“You’d make a good professor.”

Hop beamed at the compliment. “So why did you want to know about fairy-types?”

“I didn’t even know they existed. And ‘cause of that, Skewer got knocked out by one.”

“Oh, sorry to her about that.” Hop sympathized. “If it’s any help, fairy-types are weak to poison and steel.”

Rico nodded. As they waited for Shorty and Skewer to get healed up, Rico began fussing over Tajin. He couldn’t help it. His fluffy fur was so warm. Tajin embarrassedly tried to push Rico off, but the dragon’s hug was like a vice.

“Rico, let him go.” Hop said. “I think Tajin’s had enough affection for now.”

“But he’s so fluffy.” Rico whined, but acquiesced and released the rabbit when he stomped hard on his foot.

Rico sat down and decided to look up poison-type moves on his phone. Tajin found a pebble nearby and stated kicking it around, practicing his footwork. In a couple of minutes, the blond lady running the pop-up walked over to them and handed Rico his Pokéballs back.

“Here you are. All set and ready for battle.” She said with a smile. “You’re nearly to Turffield! Good luck, Challenger!”

Rico thanked her and headed off alongside Hop once more, Tajin following close behind. The trail into Route 4 led to a small campsite where a handful of trainers had set up tents. Rico internally sighed. He was hoping that the area would be empty. The trainers were all friendly, but he wouldn’t be able to stretch his wings with them around. And he had a feeling if he had they would all suddenly be a lot less friendly. 

After helping Hop set up camp, Hop happily engaged in a few battles. Rico decided had enough battles for the day and decided to look around. There was a berry tree nearby and he scampered over. It looked like most of the ripe berries were high up in the tree. No problem. He easily climbed up, reaching for the higher branches to pull down so he could reach the fruit. Tajin watched from below. When he pulled on a particular branch, a large, brown squirrel tumbled down, landing on the fork of the trunk that Rico was sitting on. It looked like a Skwovet, but much chubbier. It seemed disoriented for a minute, then looked at Rico and chattered angrily. Rico hissed back, eyes narrowing into slits. The squirrel scrambled back up to the top of the tree, dropping a few berries it had wrapped in its tail. Great, he could just grab these ones. He grabs them and tosses them to Tajin, who kicked them in the air a few times before collecting them up. Rico climbed back down the tree to rejoin him at their camp.

Hop showed up a little while later with all three of his Pokémon by his side. They looked tired, but proud. 

“Did ya win?” Rico asked, though he had an idea of the answer.

“You bet! Scotch, Snipes, and Rookidee ruled! I think Rookidee may even evolve soon.”

“You still gotta name Rookidee, ya know.”

Hop snickered. “Do you have some secret plan to make all trainers nickname their Pokémon?”

“If I could pull that off, it’d be awesome!”

They settled down to cook curry. Rico pulled out one of the burger packs he had bought at Motostoke and begged Hop if they could use it for this batch. Hop decided that they might as well try it. Rico let out his own team so they could play, but asked if Tajin could light their fire first. Being surrounded by other humans meant Rico didn’t want to risk being seen lighting it himself. He watched the pot as Hop stirred, Hop giving him that look that said, “don’t even try it.”

“So where does the meat come from?” Rico asked.

“Hmm?”

“The meat. The burger meat. Where does it come from? It’s not made of Pokémon, is it?”

Hop froze, staring at the pot like it was something insidious. “I… never stopped to think about it.”

“Do people eat Pokémon? Is it legal? This burger steak for example. Did it come from a Miltank? Or a Tauros? Or maybe it’s not beef at all and is actually Bouf-”

“Rico, please!” Hop cut him off. “Some things are better left unknown. I rather not know, honestly. Hand me some berries.”

Rico gave him two Leppa berries, a Persim, and a Cheri berry. Dinner was ready in short order. Though most of their Pokémon were content with the serving, Tajin and Scotch turned their noses up at the offered plates. Hop ended up giving them the last of the berries instead. Some trainers came around to talk. A few wondered where Rico got his Axew, as it was unusual for a trainer who was just starting out to have a rare Pokémon like that. A few were willing to trade curry ingredients, so they ended up with a pack of mixed mushrooms and fancy apples. When darkness finally fell, everyone retreated to their tents for the night, struggling to sleep knowing that Turffield, and therefore their first Gym battle, was right around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't see a rabbit and sheep eating meat.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rico finds something new to gawk at.

Rico woke early the next morning, thankful for a nightmare-less sleep. Remembering there were other humans nearby, he made sure he was covered before he exited the tent. The trainers that were left were busy packing up their camps. He didn’t see Hop amongst them. Was he still asleep? He decided to check on him, creeping over to his tent and unzipping it to peek inside. There was a large lump buried in the sleeping bag he saw, a small tuft of dark hair poking out from the opening. He really was still asleep.

Rico grinned deviously as an idea came to mind. He crept fully into the tent, making sure he couldn’t be seen from the outside. He crouched down directly in front of Hop’s face, using his tail to poke him, careful not to jab him with the sharp end. Hop stirred, but didn’t wake. Rico poked him a couple more times until Hop swatted at his tail, eyes finally opening to see Rico’s grinning face just inches from his own.

“Mornin’, Hopscotch!”

Hop shrieked, shooting straight out of his sleeping bag only to hit his head on the ceiling of the tent. He fell back, causing the whole tent to pitch over onto its side and throwing Rico forward. Rico bellowed in laughter even as he landed on top of Hop, nearly knocking the wind out of the human.

“What the hell!?” Hop snapped.

Rico continued to guffaw. “Your… your face! Ya shoulda seen it!”

Hop glowered at Rico, trying to push him off.

“Get off, you tosser!”

“What’s a tosser?”

“I swear Rico, if you don’t get off of me right now I’ll-”

Rico folded his arms and settled down on Hop’s chest, looking down at him smugly. “You’ll do what?”

Hop froze. What exactly could he threaten to do to a dragon?

“I’ll… I’ll never take you to another Battle Café again!”

“Nooooo!” Rico quickly scrambled off of Hop. “Anything but that!”

It was Hop’s turn to smirk. “Say goodbye to your chance of ever trying Alolan-style pancakes!”

“No! I’ll be good! I promise!”

“That’s all it takes to get you to behave? Ha! Looks like the almighty Hop has found a way to tame the fearsome dragon!”

Rico narrowed his eyes. “I ain’t nobody’s pet.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Rico.” Hop chuckled, playfully ruffling Rico’s hair, mindful of his horns.

“Alright, we better get moving if we want to actually challenge the gym today.” Hop said as he withdrew his hand, completely oblivious to the disappointment on the dragon’s face. “I was so excited I could hardly sleep last night.”

Rico picked up his hat and put back on his head. He followed Hop out of tent, and after a quick breakfast of leftover curry (Hop managed to hide some from Rico after last time) he helped Hop break down camp so they could move on. 

Rico got excited when he saw a Pikachu in the tall grass, but came running back to Hop with two sparking Electrike at his heels. The Pokémon around here were much more territorial it seemed.

Passing by the grass, Rico saw another unusual Pokémon chasing a flying bug Pokemon. It was shaggy and brown, and had sharp fangs. 

“What the heck is that?” Rico asked, pointing at the creature.

“What’s what?” Hop looked over to what Rico was pointing at. “Oh, that’s a Meowth.”

“That’s a _Meowth?_ What’s wrong with it?” 

“Nothing’s wrong with it. That’s just the way they look around here. Are you thinking of Kantonian Meowth?”

“Kantonian?”

“Yeah, you know. Those cream colored Meowth with brown tails and gold coins on their heads.”

“You mean a normal Meowth?”

“Exactly! Kantonian Meowth are normal-type. There is an Alolan variety that’s a dark-type. And our native Galarian Meowth are steel-type.”

“Steel-type?” _Fairy is weak against steel! Maybe I should catch it!_

Rico followed the Meowth through the grass, but lost track of it when it went around a large rock. He perched on top of the rock to get a better vantage point. Unfortunately, other than a few pumpkin-like Pokémon bobbing around there was no Meowth in sight. But hey, was that an Eevee?

He leapt off the rock, stalking through the grass to get as close as he could so he could pounce before the Eevee could run away. He leapt out of the grass, earning a startled shriek from his quarry, quickly realizing it was not in fact an Eevee, but a young human dressed as one.

Rico sputtered out an apology, but the kid had already fled. Whoops. 

He started making his way back when he heard a voice call out.

“Wooloo! Where do you think you’re going!?”

Wooloo? That didn’t sound like Hop’s voice. And he calls his Wooloo Scotch now. He turned to follow the voice when he suddenly ended up with a face full of fluff. 

“Oof!”

He managed to grip the fluffball as he fell on his back. He turned his head to the side to spit out a mouthful of wool then looked up at his attacker.

“Beeeeh!”

“Are ya kiddin’ me!?”

A freaking Wooloo. But not Hop’s Scotch. This one had a different bleat and didn’t smell like Scotch.

Rico heard laughter off to the side and saw Hop bent over, cackling like a crocotta. Rico huffed, smoke trailing faintly out of his nostrils. He’d show him! Soon as he gets out from under this Wooloo!

Claws buried in Wooloo’s wool, he lifts the sheep off of him and maneuvers it to his side, just in time to see a man standing over him. He had a kind, freckled face and a large straw hat. Rico couldn’t help staring at his biceps.

Wait! He knows this man from somewhere!

“My… Are you okay?” the man asked. “You took that Tackle head on…”

He reaches out a hand to help Rico up. Rico takes it, if only so he could feel how effortlessly the man pulls him onto his feet. He’s really as strong as he looks. Rico’s disappointed when the man withdraws his hand and contemplates falling again just to give him an excuse to lift him up once more.

“You’re… Milo.”

“Hmmm?”

“The Turffield Gym Leader?”

“That’s right! And I’m rather partial to grass-type Pokémon.” Milo said. “You’re one of the Gym Challengers, right? I believe I saw you at the Opening Ceremony.”

“I was there too.” Hop said. “We were endorsed by Lee himself!”

Milo chuckled. “I’ve been itching to see just how good the champion-endorsed gym challengers are… Let me find out at the Gym Stadium!”

“You can bet we’ll be there!” Hop grinned, clenching his fists. Rico nodded eagerly.

“Just head on through this route, and you’ll run right into my stadium.” Milo said, pointing down the route at the visible town in the distance. “See you there!”

Milo bent down to pick up the Wooloo and hold it over one shoulder, much to Rico’s awe. “Back to the stadium with you too, Wooloo. We can’t keep the Gym Challengers waiting!”

He clapped a friendly hand on Rico’s back with his free arm before making his way down to Turffield. Rico stared off in the direction Milo went. So strong. He was so incredibly jealous of his Wooloo in that moment.

“Rico? You feeling feverish?” Hop asked.

“Huh?”

“Your face is all red.”

Rico started scrabbling at his face as if he could physically wipe away the redness. “No it ain’t!”

“Yes, it kind of is.”

“S’not!”

“Yes it is.”

“I don’t have a fever! I don’t _get_ fevers!”

“Then why else would… Oh! I think I get it.”

Rico risked a glance at Hop. 

_For the love of all things sacred! Stop grinnin’ at me like that!_

“Do you maybe have a little crush on Milo?”

“No!”

“Are you _suuuure_?” That teasing tone was driving Rico mad.

“Hop!” Rico felt the fabric of his jacket tug as he instinctively tried to pull his wings out to cover his face.

“Hey, lots of people are attracted to Milo.” He leaned in closer to Rico, still smirking. “I’m sure he’d be flattered to know he could charm a dragon too. Might give Raihan a run for his money.”

That’s it! He didn’t give a crap if people might see! One swing of his tail was enough to sweep Hop right off his feet.

“Stop. Talking.” Rico gritted out.

“Alright, alright. Sorry.” Hop sure didn’t sound sorry as he picked himself up. “Is this why you wanted to leave Motostoke so bad? Couldn’t wait to see Milo in person, eh?”

“No! I wanted to get out of Motostoke ‘cause-” Rico paused. What was he gonna say?

_‘Cause the Chairman scares me?_

_'Cause Raihan scares me too?_

_‘Cause he was standin’ too close to you?_

“I don’t care if that’s your preference, by the way.” Hop said. “I mean, Lee’s that way too, so I’m not gonna judge.”

“Really?” 

Leon swung that way too? Rico had to suppress a big, stupid grin. That was the best news he had heard all day!

He was still processing this by the time they reached town. Hop grabbed his arm and pointed down the hill.

“Take a look at that, Rico! That’s Turffield Stadium down there!”

Rico looked down at the crowd of people flooding out the stadium doors.

“Wow. The place is packed.”

“I know. It’ll be ages before our turns come up…” 

“In the meantime, we should get something to eat.”

“Always thinking with your stomach, eh? You should probably stop at the Pokémon Center first. I’m sure your team could use the rest.”

“Then can we eat?”

Hop rolled his eyes and pulled Rico into the Center. 

“Hey, they have a Rotomi here.” Hop said, pointing at the PC unit in the corner.

“So?”

“You wanted to make a League Card, right?”

Hop led Rico to the machine an explained to him how to use it.

“I ain’t a troglodyte. I know how to use a computer.” Rico said. “But, um, if you could help me read the text…”

In ten minutes Rico had his very own League Cards printed out. He glanced over one. It was glossy, and he was posed with his fists clenched, expression on his face trying to be stern, but instead looking like he was about to laugh. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to look serious and epic, but then he and Hop started doing the most ridiculous poses they could think of and he couldn’t keep a straight face when it was time for his picture to be taken.

“Looks good enough.” Rico said, turning around and handing a card to Hop.

“You’re giving it to me?” Hop asked, taking it.

“Of course! Ya gave me one of yours so it’s only fair ya be the first to get one of mine. And I like you.”

Hop snapped his attention from the card to Rico.

“You…um, thanks. For the card.” He muttered.

Rico cocked his head. Why did Hop look so… so…

Hop quickly walked over to the counter to talk to the nurse. Rico follows behind, curious of Hop’s strange behavior. While waiting for their Pokémon, Rico slipped off his bag and pulled out Hop’s League Card since he never got a chance to read it. It was a struggle, but he managed to get through the text without help.

_This_ _Pokémon Trainer_ _got endorsed to take part in the_ _Gym Challenge_ _by his brother – the reigning_ _Champion_ _,_ _Leon_ _. Hop claims to have watched all Leon's matches. Commentators speculate that as a result, he might be quite the force to be reckoned with. The Champion himself has said that his brother has potential, but his carefully hoarded knowledge can go to waste as he tends to get easily flustered in battle. It's said that Hop's partner_ _Wooloo_ _is a great help to him both in battle and with chores around the house._

Flustered. That was the word Rico was looking for. Hop looked flustered when he gave him the card. Why?

After their Pokémon were rested up, they made to leave the Pokémon Center when Hop’s phone buzzed.

Hop pulled out his phone and looked over the message. “Sonia’s looking for us.”

“What for?” Rico asked, trying to look over Hop’s shoulder.

“She wants to ask about something, I guess.” Hop explained. “She’s up on that what’s-her-face hill. You know the one.”

“No I don’t. Ya know I ain’t ever been here before.”

“Check out the map on your phone if you’re not sure.”

Rico pulled out his own phone and opened the map. Confession time: he had no idea how to read a map.

Rico let out an exasperated growl. “I don’t know what I’m lookin’ at.”

“You’re just as bad with directions as Lee.” 

“Gimme a break! I’m dyslexic!”

“Bowow!”

They heard barking and turned to see a Yamper bounding over to them, wagging his tail.

“Hey, it’s Scamp!” Rico immediately reached down to pet him.

“Oh yeah! Scamp’s a good boy! He’ll show us the way!”

Scamp starts to run up the hill, coming back down every so often to make sure the pair didn’t fall too far behind. Rico stared at the massive monoliths as they trekked. There appeared to be some kind of text on them, but he couldn’t read it. He must have been drifting towards them because Hop and Scamp had to redirect him a few times.

At the top of the hill there was a small lookout post overlooking a large field. Sonia was facing towards the field, but turned around when she heard her Yamper bark.

“Good job! Thanks, Scamp!” She tossed him a treat that he caught out of the air.

_She trained a dog to fetch people. Impressive._

Sonia then looked to the boys and motioned them over.

“Hi, you guys! I had you two come ‘cause I wanted to hear what you thought.”

“About what?” Rico asked.

Sonia stepped aside so they could see the hillside. Rico stared in awe at the giant drawing carved into the earth.

“Cool! What is it?”

“I’ve read about it online!” Hop said. “That’s Turffield’s famous geoglyph, right?”

“Correct.” Sonia said. “What do you think of it?”

Rico cocked his head, staring at the geoglyph for a few seconds longer.

“Looks like a giant dragon breathin’ fire at people.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be a giant Pokemon.” Hop answered. “Maybe it’s Dynamaxed?”

“It seems likely.” Sonia said. “I suppose people three thousand years ago could’ve just imagined this, but it looks too similar to Dynamax. It can’t just be a coincidence.”

Rico continued to stare. Something about the geoglyph made a shiver run down his spine, but not from fear. It was… exciting in a way?

“Where I come from, drawings were found in really old caves that depicted flyin’ discs.”

“Flying discs?” Sonia and Hop asked in unison.

“Yeah, you know. UFOs? Like what aliens are said to fly in?” Rico explained. “Ancient people drew pictures of creatures they lived with, but there were also these drawings that looked just like flyin’ discs, but there was no fancy camera tricks way back then, so they couldn’t be fakin’ those drawings. They were drawin’ what they saw.”

“Have you seen aliens before?” Hop asked.

“Not…personally.” Rico replied. “But ancient people might have. Maybe somethin’ similar happened here.”

“The things the people of the ancients must have seen.” Sonia mumbled. “A long time ago, a great black storm covered the Galar region. Giant Pokémon ran rampant... But what was that black storm they called ‘the Darkest Day?’ What connection does it have to Dynamax?”

Rico shrugged, only to realize Sonia wasn’t paying attention. She looked lost in thought as she twirled her hair around a finger. “Guess I’m the lucky lady that’ll be looking into that… Gran sure gives me a lot to do.”

“It sounds kinda fun though.” Rico said. “Unless there’s a lot of readin’ involved.”

Sonia smiled. “Thanks for your thoughts on the matter, you two! As thanks, I’ll give you some League Cards.”

She proceeded to hand each of them a card depicting the Gym Leader Milo waving and smiling. Hop turned to Rico with a knowing grin on his face. 

“Shut up.” Rico said, even though Hop hadn’t spoken. “Just tell me what it says on the card.”

_“This_ _Trainer_ _was born as the son of farmers. He has honed his strength, stamina, and skill as a Pokémon Trainer from a young age by working together with his Pokémon. Because of his gentle nature, he has trouble going all out on weaker opponents, which is why his_ _Gym_ _is the first one for challengers to attempt during the_ _Gym Challenge_ _. He always wears his boots, as apparently they let him dig in his heels when he needs to._ ” Hop read aloud.

“Take these too!” Sonia said, handing them each a small, yellow object that resembled a gem. “It’d be pretty bad if your Pokémon weren’t fighting form!”

“Thanks for the revives, Sonia.” Hop said.

“As you probably already know, Milo specializes in grass-types. So things should go well with your flying and fire-types, respectively.”

Sonia looked at Rico. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if you threw in a couple of curveballs. Go on, then! Get to Turffield Stadium and battle yourselves silly!”

“But there’s this really long line.” Rico said. “And we ain’t even had lunch yet!”

“Sounds urgent.” Sonia joked. “I could show you two to a nearby diner if you’d like.”

“YES!”

The three of them started making their way down. Rico stopped and curiously looked over a large flat piece of wood with two perfectly cut holes at different heights. He stuck his head in the lower one, but didn’t see anything interesting. Hop and Sonia laughed and Rico saw the flash of a phone camera. When Rico pulled his head out to question it, Hop showed Rico the picture he just took. Apparently, it was one of those head-in-the hole structures with pictures on the front that people could stick their faces through. From Hop and Sonia’s perspective, Rico appeared to have the body of a fat brown squirrel.

“Personally, I think it suits you.” Hop said. “You sure have the appetite of a Greedent!”

“Is that what the fat squirrel is called?” Rico would have been insulted, but was more curious about the Pokémon.

“It’s the evolved form of Skwovet.” Sonia said. “True to its name, it’s a very gluttonous Pokémon that hides berries in its tail.”

Much like Postwick, Turffield was primarily farmland. There probably wouldn’t be much to see if it weren’t for the Stadium, the geoglyph, and the typical tourist attractions like the inns and diners, like the one they stopped at. 

Rico practically inhaled the burger he ordered, much to the amusement of his companions. He also stole half of Hop’s fries, giving him a confused look when Hop told him to stay away from his “chips.”

Stopping for lunch turned out to be a good idea, as by the time they left the line in front of Turffield Stadium had all but disappeared.

“Finally! I’m going first!” Hop announced, rushing off towards the gym.

“Hey! I wanna be first!” Rico chased after him.

Sonia watched them go, somewhat amused. Like this, it was easy to imagine that Rico was just another kid and not a dragon from another world. It made her wonder, however, just long he’d be able to keep up the ruse.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting the first Gym Battle!

It turns out Hop did make it to the Stadium first, already registering at the desk by the time Rico reached his side. Hop pumps his fists in the air, both due to being first and excitement of starting the gym challenge. 

“Don’t worry.” Hop assured. “You’ll still get your chance to fall for Milo all over again.”

“Shut up.”

Hop grinned unapologetically. “And by the way. You see that counter over there? They sell uniforms. See if you can get that bigger shirt you need.”

With that Hop disappeared into the locker room while Rico made his way over to the uniform shop.

“’Scuse me.”

The man running the shop put down the paper he was reading and looked down his glasses at Rico, immediately perking up upon seeing he had a customer.

“Oh, hello there, Gym Challenger! Can I help you?”

“Yes. My friend told me you sell uniforms here?”

“Of course! What’re you interested in? Fire? Poison? Normal?”

“Actually,” Rico took of his bag and dug out his current uniform shirt. “I was just hopin’ to get the next size up of this.”

The man seemed a little disappointed. “Are you sure I can’t interest you in anything else?”

“No thank you.”

Rico thought he heard the man mumble something about meeting a quota as he disappeared into the back of the shop. In the meantime, Rico admired the colorful uniforms on display. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to buy just one? He checked the price on the Fire uniform and winced. Yup, he was sticking to just the shirt.

About a minute later the shopkeeper came back with a crisp new shirt. Rico thanked him, payed the exorbitant price, and tucked the new shirt into his bag for when his turn to compete came up.

He didn’t like sitting still, repeatedly getting up to wander around the lobby before sitting back down and watching the big screen hung over the registration desk. He could hear the roar of the music and the crowd, both on the screen and muffled on the other side of the stadium doors. It looked like Hop was chasing several Wooloo. Weird. Wasn’t there supposed to be some kind of battle between the trainer and the Gym Leader?

At one point during his restless pacing he bumped into the Ball Guy again. After a pleasant chat, the Ball Guy gave Rico a green Pokéball.

“If you catch a Pokémon with the Friend Ball, it’ll become friendly with you in no time – just like how we became friends!” The Ball Guy said. “Pokéballs are just full of surprises, don’t you think?”

Cool! Rico would be sure to save this for something special. He was heading back to the bench when he heard folks talking. He only stopped to listen because he heard them mention Hop.

_“That trainer was endorsed by the Champion himself.”_

_“Did you know he’s Leon’s little brother? His name is Hop.”_

_“I can definitely see Leon’s likeness in Hop, especially his eyes.”_

_“Here’s hoping he can live up to Leon’s likeness in other ways too.”_

_“He’s pretty cute. I’ll give him that.”_

Rico growled lowly, then caught himself. Why did that bother him? What did it matter if other humans thought Hop was cute too? People were allowed to think Hop was cute. Because he was. It didn’t have to mean anything.

_“Is that kid a Gym Challenger, too?”_

_“I heard that trainer is Hop’s rival.”_

They were talking about him now.

_“Leon endorsed him as well?”_

_“I suppose he must at least be as good as Hop then.”_

Well, that made him preen internally. He went back to the bench and sat down, turning his attention back to the screen. It looked like Hop was in the middle of a battle. How much did Rico miss? He watched as Hop stood with Scotch at his feet, the Wooloo tired but clearly victorious. Milo returned a lilypad-shaped Pokémon (Lotad, his brain helpfully supplied) and sent out a Pokémon that looked like a cotton plant. 

Hop was the picture of confidence and burning determination. Even after Scotch went down to Milo’s Pokémon, Hop didn’t waver an inch, instead sending out his Rookidee to fight. The intense look in his eyes as he followed Milo in Dynamaxing his Rookidee was something else. Rookidee easily withstood his opponent’s Max Overgrowth and launched his own Max Airstream. They exchanged a few more blows before the cotton Pokémon shrunk and went down. The crowd in the bleachers erupted in cheers. Once Rookidee shrunk to normal size he flew over to Hop, who extended his arm to allow the small bird to perch. He couldn’t hear what Hop was saying over the cheer of the crowd, but Rico could guess that Hop was praising his Pokémon. His eyes were shining and he was beaming so hard that Rico was surprised he didn’t crack his face in half. He looked so incredible, so-

_Oh no…._

No! Rico was most certainly _not_ catching feelings for his friend. No matter how much the little voice in the back of his head was trying to tell him otherwise. Ugh, wasn’t crushing on _two_ humans bad enough already?

He had retreated so far into his own head he didn’t notice the figure approaching him.

“Rico! Did you see?”

Rico managed not to scream, but he did fall off the bench.

“Rico!” Hop was immediately by his side, helping him up and back onto the bench. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. Ya just caught me off guard.” 

Hop grinned at him and Rico swore he felt his temperature rise despite being a reptile.

“Consider it payback for this morning!” Hop said. “But anyway, take a look at this!”

Hop pulled out his Challenge Band from his jacket pocket. The ring had a piece of metal wedged onto it; a leaf symbol etched onto the face of the metal.

“The Grass Gym Badge! I got it on one try!”

“That’s awesome, Hop!”

“Yeah, I reckon I’m just about the greatest when it comes to wrangling Wooloo…” Hop bragged. “I’ve had plenty of practice at it, after all!”

“I’ll bet! Ya looked amazing, Hop! I thought for sure ya were gonna beat him with just Scotch! But Rookidee was great too! He’s gotten so much stronger thanks to you!”

Oh, it looks like Rico flustered Hop again. Problem is this time Rico was flustered too.

“Um…thanks. But I’m sure you can win this too.” Hop said. “You’re my rival, after all.”

Hop’s face twists into a teasing smirk. “Try not to trip over yourself when you see Milo again. Though I’m sure he’d be happy to help you up again.”

At least that killed the tension. Rico half-heartedly shoved Hop aside as he made his way to the locker room. 

Rico was not shy. He had been described as extroverted several times in his life, which apparently meant he was outgoing, but also “too friendly,” according to Scourge. So why did he feel all embarrassed and tongue-tied now of all times? 

Whatever. He was nervous enough going in for his first ever gym battle. He didn’t need these confusing feelings distracting him.

He finished changing into his larger uniform, checking his back in the wall-mounted mirror to make sure his wings were well-hidden. Next, he grabbed two of his Pokéballs and released their occupants, looking down at Tajin and Nugget.

“Alright, guys. It’s a two vs two battle and it looks like Milo Dynamaxes his second. He’s a grass-type user, so y’all are my best bet. Who wants to go first?”

Tajin stuck his paws in his fur pockets while Nugget chirped, flapping her wings erratically.

“Looks like we’re goin’ with you then.” Rico said, scooping up the Rookidee. She perched on his hat while Rico looked back at Tajin. “Not that I’m upset or nothin’, but I’m surprised _you_ didn’t wanna go first.”

Tajin shrugged, looking off to the side.

Rico smirked. “Ya wanna fight the Dynamaxed Pokémon, dontcha?”

Tajin tried to bury his face into the red fur around his neck.

“Ya don’t gotta be embarrassed about it. I know how competitive ya are.”

After psyching himself and his Pokémon up a bit more, Rico returned them to their balls, took a deep breath, and headed for the hall.

It was nothing like he had ever seen before. As he went down the stairs he found himself in a humongous domed room that looked it was separated into four indoor pastures. There were several Wooloo in first pasture that he had access too.

Rico reached the edge of the pasture when a Blonde-haired man in League clothes quickly approached him.

“Hello, Gym Challenger. My name is Dan and I serve as a referee and report the results of battles to the League HQ.”

“Alright.” Rico said, not really knowing what that meant. “Nice to meet ya, then.”

“The mission given by Turffield’s Gym is this!” Dan swept his arm across the field. “To chase our unruly Wooloo! To that blockade we made of bales of straw over there!”

Rico looked to where he was gesturing and saw a big pile of stacked straw bales with a large, mounted arrow pointing towards it, the arrow having a monitor depicting 00/20 Wooloo.

“That’s it?” Rico asked. “All I gotta do is chase some sheep? This’ll be easy!”

“Let’s see how far that confidence will take you. Let the Gym mission begin!” 

This was going to be fun. He had promised Hop not to terrorize any more Pokémon, but chasing them wasn’t the same as terrorizing them, right? The whole point of this mission was to chase Pokémon.

He thought over it quickly. Wooloo were sheep. Sheep had herd mentality. If he could get even a couple of them to move in one direction, the rest would likely follow.

He crouched low, adopting a predatory stance as he crept up on the Wooloo. They saw him coming and began to roll away. When some rolled to the right he quickly followed, blocking their route and making them move back towards the herd. The Wooloo so readily moved away from him, it was so tempting to drop and give chase for real. He had to remind himself that he was herding, not hunting. The Wooloo gathered up onto a blue platform in front of the straw bales and Rico watched as the number on the arrow shot from 00 to 20 as the Wooloo collectively busted through the straw bales into the next pasture.

This next pasture had a Yamper in the field that barked and chased the Wooloo in the wrong direction, causing them to scatter. Rico got frustrated and finally headed straight for the Yamper, throwing his hands up in a clawed stance and snarling. The pup yelped and ran to the other side of the field. With it out of the way Rico started zigzagging across the field, trying to get the Wooloo back together as a herd. Once they were back to moving as a unit, he herded them to the second platform. They busted through into the third pasture, but before Rico could follow he was stopped by a Gym Trainer. Apparently, their job was to slow down or even sabotage the Challenger’s attempts to round up the Wooloo by battling them. Rico wanted to save Nugget and Tajin’s strength for fighting Milo, so he sent out Skewer instead. The Gym Trainer’s Gossifleur stood little chance against the dragon-type, its Leafage attack barely dealing any damage while Skewer took it down in only two Dragon Rages. The trainer expressed a little shock that Rico had a dragon-type, as it was rare for first time-challengers to have such a Pokémon. As much as Rico would have loved to rehash the story of how he met Skewer, he still had a Gym mission to win.

The third pasture was trickier, there were hedges the bottlenecked the path and another Yamper. He carefully herded the Wooloo through the middle of the two hedges as it was the most straightforward path, snarling at the Yamper to scare it off before it scattered the Wooloo again. He finally made it to the last pasture, which had hedges bisecting right through the center of the path, as well as two more Yamper and yet another trainer. He only needed to chase off one Yamper so he could herd the Wooloo into the narrow space between the hedges and left wall, managing to avoid the other Yamper altogether. He was stopped by the trainer before he could reach the platform, but Tajin’s Flame Charge was able to make short work of her Bounsweet. He finally got every last Wooloo onto the platform, where they busted through once more right into what Rico assumed were their pens, the gates closing behind them and keeping them contained. Rico panted. He was a little winded, but that was so much fun! Would all the Gym missions require chasing Pokémon, because he was completely down for it!

He raced up the stairs just ahead of him, turning and excitedly waving at the camera as a voice called out that he had cleared the mission. The door in front of him opened and he made his way down the long hall that led to the pitch where the rest test of strength would take place. He stopped right before the opening, reaching in his pockets to check for Tajin and Nugget’s Pokéballs. He swore he could feel them rattle ever so slightly. They were just as excited as he was for this.

“Let’s give ‘em one hell of a show.” Rico murmured before stepping out onto the pitch. It was similar to when he stepped out the day of the Opening Ceremony: giant domed glass surrounding the pitch, bleachers packed with people and Pokémon screaming and cheering. Milo approached from the other end of the pitch and the two met in the middle of the arena.

“You made it. My Gym’s the first one people face, so we get a lot of challengers.” Milo said. “That’s why I try to keep the Gym mission challenging, but...”

He shrugged and gave Rico a warm smile that made his blood carbonate on the spot.

“That didn’t stop you from completing it! Proper job!” Milo praised.

“Thanks! It was really fun! I hope all the Gym missions are like that!”

“Sure seems like you understand Pokémon real well.”

“I hope so.” 

“This is gonna be a doozy of a battle! I’ll have to Dynamax my Pokemon if I want to win!”

Rico wondered if that was meant to be a hint that Dynamaxing was going to be a part of this battle. He already saw it from the lobby during Hop’s match with Milo. Maybe it was just in case any challengers weren’t paying attention?

Milo turned and began to walk to the other side of the pitch. Rico had a feeling the same was expected of him, so quickly made his way to the opposite end. When they reached their respective positions, music started up as Milo pulled out an Ultra ball and released a Gossifleur. Rico sent in Nugget.

“Let’s go, Nugget! Peck!”

Nugget flew up into the air and dove towards Gossifleur, sharp beak posed to strike.

“Sing.”

Gossifleur sung a lullaby that caused Nugget to fall right out of the air. Luckily, she landed in the soft grass of the pitch, but she was out cold.

“Nugget? Nugget, wake up!”

“Magical Leaf.”

A flurry of glowing leaves pelted Nugget. The attack didn’t appear to do much damage, but Nugget still wouldn’t wake up!

“Round.”

Gossifleur let out a shrieking cry. Why did so many trainers in the Galar region like teaching their Pokémon Round? Rico’s ears were ringing something fierce.

“C’mon, Nugget! Wake up already!”

Nugget stirred, standing up and ruffling her feathers. She tottered slightly, having endured a barrage of attacks while she was asleep. That wasn’t good. 

“Okay…use Rock Smash!”

Nugget flew back into the air, talons glowing in preparation to strike.

“Sing again, Gossifleur.”

“Nugget! Fly up!”

Nugget shot straight into the sky, managing to get of range of Gossifleur’s Sing. Rico watched as she circled the dome. How was he going to avoid Sing while still landing an attack?

“…Taunt!”

Nugget swooped down and chirped mockingly at Gossifleur, flapping in its face before soaring off. Gossifleur’s tiny face twisted into a tiny expression of rage.

“That’s a clever strategy, making sure I can’t use Sing again.” Milo complimented. “But we have other tricks up our sleeve. Rapid Spin!”

Gossifleur spun like a top, smashing into Nugget and knocking her out of the air.

“Nugget! You okay?”

The bird staggered up to her feet once more. She was looking worse for wear, and they hadn’t even managed to land a single hit on Gossifleur yet!

Rico grit his teeth. This would be risky, but…

“…Sky Attack.”

Nugget began to glow with a faint light. If she could just endure one or two more blows, just long enough for Sky Attack to finish charging…

Milo wasted no time taking advantage of Nugget’s inability to attack. Nugget was pelted by the magical glowing leaves again, still not doing much damage, but she was wavering.

“Just a little longer, Nugget… Now!”

Glowing brightly, Nugget flew up in an arc before smashing down into Gossifleur. The plant Pokémon was down in one hit.

Milo returned the Pokémon, praising it for its effort. 

“Woohoo! What a shot! But we’re not going to be done in that easily! We’re tough as weeds!”

He sent out his next partner, that cotton-looking Pokémon he saw Hop face.

Rico looked at Nugget. She was clearly spent. He could make her keep going until she got knocked out so he could at least get some damage on his opponent before he sent in Tajin, or he could switch her out. If Tajin got knocked out, though, he would be a in bad situation with only an exhausted Rookidee left to fight with.

He sighed and returned Nugget to her ball. “Take a good rest. Ya earned it.”

Rico whipped out Tajin’s ball and sent him into the pitch. “Let’s do this, Tajin!”

The Raboot hopped in place and took a battle stance.

“Come on, then! It’s Dynamax time! Prepare to be uprooted!” Milo declared. He returned the cotton Pokémon to its ball, supersized it while giving it a gentle pat, then threw the ball behind him with such a show of strength it almost made Rico’s knees give out.

The cotton Pokémon towered over its trainer, filling almost half the stadium with its immense size. No wonder these stadiums were built to be so big. It wasn’t just to accommodate the crowds.

Rico glanced at Tajin, who was staring at him insistently. Oh, right. Tajin wanted to Dynamax too.

“Here we go!”

Rico returned Tajin, feeling the Dynamax energy flow through him and into his Dynamax band, exhilarating as the first time he’d done this. He turned and threw the giant ball as hard as he could.

Tajin burst forth several stories tall, letting out an elated cry. It seemed he liked being giant.

“Max Strike!”

Tajin stomped the ground, causing cracks to surge toward the cotton Pokémon and explode beneath it. Milo was unshaken.

“Max Strike it right back, Eldegoss!”

The move tottered Tajin a little, but the rabbit remained on his feet. Rico paused for a minute. The only moves he remembered were Max Strike and Max Wyrmwind, and Tajin certainly couldn’t use the latter. 

“Max…um…fire move!”

Tajin looked down at Rico as if to say _WTF?_

“Ya know what I’m talkin’ about! Use somethin’ fire-type!”

Tajin formed a massive ball of fire in front of him and shot it at Eldegoss. The flames completely engulfed the cotton Pokémon. To Rico’s shock, the Pokémon was still standing, a shining barrier surrounding it.

“Max Guard.” Rico realized. “Crap.”

“Max Strike once more!” Milo commanded.

Energy shot through the ground and struck Tajin once again, though the giant Raboot hardy wavered.

“Let’s try this again, Tajin! Hit ‘em fast!!”

Tajin made another ball of fire, but this time proceeded to kick it like a soccer ball towards Eldegoss. The move struck so fast Milo didn’t get a chance to guard a second time. The flames had barely petered out when in an explosion of bright light the Pokémon collapsed and shrunk. 

Tajin shrunk back down as Milo recalled the unconscious Eldegoss. Rico stared at the battlefield for a few seconds, the impact of what just happened not fully registering yet. 

He…won?

Rico felt something poke him in the side, looking down to see Tajin with a worried look on his face. The volume of the cheering crowd increased as Rico snapped back to reality, a big toothy grin growing on his face.

He stuck out a fist for the Raboot to bump. Though his mouth was still covered by his fur, Rico could see the joy sparkling in Tajin’s eyes.

“We actually did it, Tajin!” Rico roared, hugging Tajin and doing a quick spin. “We won!”

Milo chuckled, taking hold of the bandana around his neck to wipe his face.

“The power of grass has wilted… What an incredible Gym Challenger!”

 _An incredible Gym Challenger…_ Rico set down Tajin and clutched the front of his uniform. He really managed to impress Milo, huh? That pleased him very much.

Milo started making his way back to the middle of the pitch and Rico ran up to meet him. He extended a hand out to Rico, and Rico was all too happy to let that big warm hand engulf his own as they shook.

“I hope that was a fulfilling Pokémon battle for you.” Milo said. “And just so you know for your next battle, the max fire move is called Max Flare.”

Rico flushed. So he heard that embarrassing moment.

“T-thanks… for tellin’ me.”

“No problem. It’s not unusual for first-time Dynamaxers to not know all the moves.” With that, Milo stood up straight and pulled something shiny out of his pocket. “And as proof that you have defeated a Gym Leader for the Gym Challenge, allow me to present you with your very own Grass Badge!”

He handed Rico a flat piece of metal with an etched-on leaf. It looked just like Hop’s.

“Thank you, sir!”

“You need to collect all eight Badges in order to complete the Gym Challenge. And the only way to gather Badges is to defeat every Gym Leader!”

Rico nodded, thanking Milo again and again like he forgot how to say anything else.

As he made his way back to the locker room to change, he continued to look down at his brand-new badge. He got his first badge. And he had impressed Milo with his strength on top of it. Milo said he was incredible! And he was nice enough to tell him the name of the max move. He was so kind and strong and-

Rico must have started purring because he felt Tajin step on his foot. He looked down to see the Pokémon giving Rico a disapproving look.

“Oh, what do ya know about affairs of the heart? You’re a Pokémon.” Rico snarked.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post match discussions and undisclosed secrets.

Rico stepped out into the lobby only to be stopped by the league staff at the desk, who congratulated him on his win against Milo and kindly showed Rico how to attach the Grass Badge to the ring _._

He saw Hop standing in the lobby and made a beeline towards him.

“HOP!” Rico practically tackled him from behind, wrapping his arms around his middle and lifting him off the ground with his hug. “Didya see? DIDYA SEE!?”

“Oof!” Hop wheezed out. “Rico… can’t breathe…”

Rico dropped him and began to smooth out his clothes, the instinct to preen overtaking him. 

“Rico, it’s fine. You can stop.” Hop said.

“Sorry.” Rico said. “But didya see?”

“You think I’d miss a battle like that? It was awesome! Using Taunt to stop Milo’s Gossifleur from using Sing was a brilliant strategy! And neither of your Pokémon fainted during the match! That’s nearly unheard of in a Gym battle!”

“Thanks! This was actually a lot of fun! I can’t wait ‘til the next gym!”

“I’m glad you feel that way.” A voice said. Rico and Hop turned around to see Milo approaching them. “Some advice for you and your friend. The Gym Challenge has a set order you’ll need to follow. Your next stop should be in Hulbury to meet Nessa. Hulbury’s just beyond Route 5.”

“Thank you, sir.” Rico said. “Thanks for everything. I hope we’ll meet again.”

Milo smiled. “I’m sure we will. When that day comes, we’ll have a rematch.”

Rico stared as he turned and left. He felt something nudge his shoulder and turned to see Hop waggling his eyebrows.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Rico placed the palm of his hand against Hop’s face and shoved him. Hop only laughed.

“At least you got a future rematch out of it. Sounds like he wants to see you again!”

Of course he was right. Milo seemed genuinely interested in having another battle. Not that Rico was going to give Hop the satisfaction of being right.

“If you say one more thing-”

“What’re you gonna do about it?”

Rico faced Hop and playfully snarled, raising his hands and curling them like claws.

“I might just decide humans are on the menu.”

Hop took a step back. “You wouldn’t.”

“Better run, li'l appetizer.”

Hop ran out of the stadium laughing, Rico giving him a head start before giving chase. He burst out the front doors, looking around for signs of a familiar blue jacket. Upon not seeing it, he took to tracking Hop instead.

He tried not to make it obvious to any onlookers what he was doing, poking around and sniffing. Luckily, he caught Hop’s scent rather quickly and tracked him to a lone stone monolith just beyond the Pokémon Center.

Fatal mistake, thinking he could hide from a dragon with tracking abilities like his. He quietly stalked up to the monolith, slowly inching around it until he saw a familiar flash of blue, then pounced.

“GOTCHA!”

Hop squealed as he was tackled to the ground. Rico laughed victoriously.

“Ya can’t hide from a dragon! You’re lucky I ain’t really gonna eat ya!”

“Alright, I give! Uncle!” Hop cried. “You win!”

Rico released Hop and helped him back to his feet. He glanced at the spot where Hop had just been sprawled to see something he hadn’t noticed before.

“What’s this?” Rico reached down and picked up a long strap of black fabric half-buried in the dirt.

“That looks like an Expert Belt.” Hop explained. “It’s said to strengthen a Pokémon’s supereffective attacks.”

“That sounds useful!” Rico said. “I’m keepin’ it!”

He stuffed it into his bag and got up, looking at Hop.

“So now what? Are we goin’ to Hulbury right now, or is there anything else in Turffield ya want to check out?”

Hop shrugged. “I think there’s a few trainers around to battle so unless you want to check out Milo’s greenhouse or the fields, not much else to see.”

“I think we should stop at the Pokémon Center first, before we battle again.”

“Good idea.”

They made a quick stop at the Center before battling a few of the trainers on the outskirts of Turffield, including a pair of reporters named Gillian and Cam who were interested in getting to know the Gym Challengers by battling them. Rico was all too happy to team up with Hop in a double battle once more. As if beating their Helioptile and Klink with Rookidee and Tajin wasn’t exciting enough, they were treated to a surprise when Hop’s Rookidee began to glow.

“Rookidee, look at you!” Hop said, admiring his new teammate. “You’re a Corvisquire now! That’s ace, mate!”

“That would be a good name for him.” Rico remarked.

“What? Ace?” Hop mulled it over for a second. “I guess I do like the sound of that.”

He looked over at Corvisquire. “What do you think, Ace?”

The large black and blue bird cawed happily.

“Seems like he likes it.” Rico said.

Hop began to chuckle, causing Rico to tilt his head. “What’s so funny?”

“You actually did it…”

“Did what?”

“You actually got me to nickname all my Pokémon.”

Now that Rico thought about it, it was true. He managed to convince Hop to nickname his whole team so far, even though Hop had insisted he probably wouldn’t name his Pokémon.

Rico put his hands on his hips, tilting his head up in mock arrogance. “I’m so good, the Name Rater better watch out. I might just take his job!”

Hop laughed harder. Rico grinned in return. It felt great, seeing Hop so happy like this. It made Rico happy too.

_Oh no, not the feelings thing again!_

“Well I think it’s time to move on!” Rico suddenly exclaimed.

“Don’t you want to see the greenhouse first?” Hop asked. “It’s got a huge variety of plants and trees and all kinds of greenery.”

“I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life. Why would I wanna see someone else do it?”

Hop crossed his arms, waggling his eyebrows again. “Because _Milo_ might be there.”

“What?”

“Yeah. In addition to working the farm, he has a whole greenhouse of exotic plants that he raises, many that you can’t even find in the Galar region. Makes sense, of course, being a Leader that specializes in grass-types it’s not surprising he has a knack for gardening. If he’s not in the greenhouse he could be in the fields, taking care of his Wooloo or rolling hay. I’ll bet you’d just love to see him heft those massive bales over those massive shoulders of his and-”

Rico slapped his hand over Hop’s mouth, eyes narrowing. Whatever warm, fuzzy feelings he had for Hop thankfully vanished for the time being.

“Be quiet or I’ll eat you for real!”

************

Leon tapped his foot on the floor of the taxi impatiently as he listened to his phone’s dial tone. What was taking so long?

“Hello?”

“Hey Milo!” Leon hoped he sounded cheerful enough.

“Champion Leon. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I haven’t called you at a bad time, have I?”

“No it’s fine. Winston and I just finished herding the Wooloo to the outdoor pastures. We just finished up with the Gym Challengers for the day. Is there something you need?”

“You just finished up with the challengers? By any chance, did you happen to see one named Rico?”

“Rico?”

“Yeah. Red hair. Coppery eyes. Around Hop’s age.”

“Oh, yes! I know exactly who you’re talking about. Such a polite boy. Fiercely strong too. He beat my team without a single of his Pokémon fainting!”

“Wait? He won?”

“Sure did! Though he got a little flustered. The poor boy seemed a bit infatuated.”

“Huh?”

“Well, I guess every young challenger develops a celebrity crush on at least one of the Gym Leaders in their lifetime. They always get over it eventually. I actually find it kind of endearing.”

That gave Leon pause. Rico really swung that way? Raihan had teased him with the idea that Rico liked his brother, but Leon didn’t think he was serious. Rico wasn’t human, so there was no way he could like a human _that_ way, or so he thought.

“He cleared the Gym mission in no time too.” Milo continued. “To be honest, I was afraid challengers would find herding Wooloo tedious, but he said it was fun. He had a unique approach to herding the Wooloo. It was just like watching my Yamper, Winston, herd them.”

“He didn’t hurt any of the Wooloo, did he?”

“Not at all. I just found it intriguing. It was much different from your brother’s way of going about it. He also earned his first badge today, did you know?”

“That’s great!” Leon felt a rush of pride hearing that. Hop was getting stronger and stronger every day. “Are they still in Turffield?”

“No, the two of them left about an hour ago. Why? Is something the matter?”

“Nope! Everything’s fine. Thanks for the information, Milo. I’ll let you get back to your duties now.”

Leon hung up and sighed. Looks like he just missed them. Not that he was in any position to show up in Turffield, being on his way back to Wyndon as he was. Sonia had texted him that she split from the two, having already made it to Hulbury. Leon wasn’t mad at her or anything. It had been a while since Sonia got to see Nessa after all, with their busy schedules. And Rico and Hop were headed there next, so he’d get an update soon enough. 

It was Sonia’s next text that he struggled with. She asked Leon if it was okay to tell Nessa about the situation at hand. She promised she would get Nessa to swear to secrecy, but Sonia felt like she had the right to know. Leon was reluctant. The more people that knew about this, the more complicated this would get.

Still, he was the one that told Sonia in the first place and roped her into this mess. Raihan knew because he was actually involved. 

He turned on his phone once more, firing off a text giving Sonia full permission to tell Nessa what was going on, but she was not to interfere and absolutely could NOT share this information with anyone else be they friends, family, or Gym Trainers.

Leon logged off his phone once his taxi reached the Wyndon city border, hoping he made the right decision in the end. In the meantime, he had some business with Rose tower.

************

It was still early afternoon when the two young trainers made their way along Route 5. There was a sweet, perfumy scent wafting from nearby tall grass. It was strong enough to make Rico nauseous, resorting to covering his nose. “What’s that smell?”

“It’s nice, huh?” Hop said.

“No, it’s overwhelmin’!”

“Really?” Hop looked over the grass, seeing several Spritzee flitting about. “It’s probably coming from them.”

Rico looked at the Pokémon in question. It was small, pink, and bird-like in appearance. It also had a white face and beak that made it look a lot like Dr. Schnabel back home.

“Can we move upwind, please?”

Hop led Rico through a fork in the route to a lower path near a cluster of trees They decided to sit in the shade until Rico’s dizziness passed. It helped a little. He could still faintly smell it, but it wasn’t so strong now.

“That’s better.”

“Are you okay? You sure had a strong reaction to that scent.” Hop said. “Those Pokémon are called Spritzee. You know Galarian nobility used to carry them around instead of perfume bottles?”

“That sounds pretty cool, but I don’t think I’d want one of those around me all the time.” Rico said.

“Is it because your nose is so sensitive?” Hop figured that if Rico could track by scent, he must have a potent sense of smell. Much better than any human, at least. Hop certainly couldn’t track by scent. That’s what Pokémon like Arcanine and Swinub were for.

“Probably.” Rico sniffed and rubbed his nose. A movement in the grass caught his attention.

“Is that a…Farfetch’d?”

Hop followed Rico’s gaze to the grass to see a dark brown bird carrying a massive vegetable in a wing.

“Yep.”

“Look at that massive leek it’s carryin’!”

“The stalks that grow here in the Galar region are thicker than what can be found in other regions.” Hop explained. “Scientists aren’t quite sure if it’s due to Galar’s climate or soil composition, or maybe it’s different species of leek. But the Farfetch’d here that wield it are considered brave warriors because of it.”

Rico laughed, briefly rubbing the side of his face against Hop’s shoulder in a sign of affection. 

“What do I even need a Pokedex for? You’re a walkin’ encyclopedia.” he complimented.

The tiniest bit of pink dusted Hop’s cheeks, but he took the compliment in stride.

“Thanks. If I’m gonna be Champion, I have to learn all I can about Pokémon, you know?”

Rico suddenly stuck his nose in the air, taking a few quick sniffs.

“What? Is it those Spritzee again?” Hop asked.

“No! I smell berries!”

Hop looked up, realizing that they were sitting directly underneath a berry tree. Of course.

“Hungry already?” 

“Always!” Rico said, standing up and beginning to climb. 

“Hey wait!” Hop said. “You know you can just shake the tree to make the berries fall, right?”

“Never settle for low-hangin’ fruit!” Rico called down. “That’s what Scourge would say!”

“I don’t think that expression’s about actual fruit…” Hop muttered, starting to pull himself up onto a branch. He just settled onto a fork in the trunk and plucked a few Oran berries from a nearby branch when he heard rustling above. Hop looked up, but Rico was so high up he couldn’t see him through the thick foliage.

“Incomin’!” Rico yelled before a barrage of berries started falling down, a few bouncing off his head. Hop made to grab a few before taking off his jacket and dropping it on the ground to act as a sort of basket to collect the fruit. After the berries stopped falling Hop climbed down and started gathering the berries that missed his jacket into a pile. 

“That’s enough, Rico! We don’t need every berry on the tree! The Pokémon that live around here need to eat too!”

There was more rustling, and Rico landed on his feet in front of Hop, balancing himself with his tail for a second before making it vanish again.

“Look at the size of this apple!” Rico grinned hugely while holding out a large, glossy, red apple. 

“It’s... big.” Hop noted, picking up the last few berries off the ground.

“I know, right?” 

Rico set the apple down as he took in the sight of the large pile of fruit tucked in a cozy jacket nest.

“Alright! Snack time!”

“This is a snack for you? There’s enough berries here to feed all of our Pokémon combined.”

“Then let’s bring ‘em out too!” Rico grabbed his four Pokéballs and released his whole fleet. Skewer, Nugget, and Shorty immediately went for the fruit pile upon seeing it. Tajin on the other hand made an effort to seem nonchalant about approaching the pile, picking out a choice Razz berry and stalking away to munch on it in peace. Rico snickered at the sight, grabbing some fruit for himself.

Hop released his own team, letting Ace, Scotch, and Snipes pick whatever they wanted from the pile. He watched them fondly for a few seconds only to look up and see Rico ready to take a bite out of a red, spiky berry.

“Rico, wait!”

Rico bit the Tamato berry in half as he turned to Hop, confusion written across his expression as he chewed. Hop stared in disbelief.

“That’s…that’s…” he stammered. “Isn’t that spicy?”

“It’s definitely got some bite to it.” Rico said.

“But that’s a Tamato berry! That’s one of the spiciest berries to exist!”

Rico looked at the half-eaten berry for a moment before shrugging and popping the rest in his mouth.

“You’re a bit of a nutter.” Hop muttered. 

“I’m guessin’ that’s an insult.” Rico said.

“If I tried to eat one of those, I’d probably start breathing fire.”

Rico laughed. The very idea of a human breathing fire, like a dragon or a-

“Hey, that reminds me. Why does your brother have a Charizard?”

“Hmm?”

“Charizard’s a Pokémon found in Kanto, right? It ain’t one of the starter Pokémon here, so how’d your brother get his?”

Hop closed his eyes and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, racking his memory.

“Let me think… I think he got it from Professor Magnolia.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Some Pokémon were imported from Kanto so the professor could study them and see how they adapt to a different region. Or something like that. That’s what Lee told me. Anyway, the Charmander wouldn’t warm up to anyone. Lee went to visit Sonia one day and was instantly taken with Charmander.”

“And so they became friends?” Rico asked.

“Not exactly. Charmander didn’t want anything to do with Lee at first. Like I said before, he would shoot Flamethrowers in his face all the time.”

Hop snickered.

“Wish I could’ve seen it. Mum said almost every day he’d come home with scorched clothes. But my brother is nothing if not determined! He kept going back no matter how many times that Charmander attacked him. I guess at some point Charmander decided it would be easier to just become friends instead of fighting it.”

“Wow.”

“Yep. Seeing you with Tajin actually reminded me a little of those stories Mum used to tell me.”

“So what happened to the other Kanto Pokémon?”

“Oh, the professor took them to the Isle of Armor. I guess the warmer climate provided a better habitat for them to thrive. Lee ended up following because he didn’t want to lose Charmander and the Dojo Master insisted he keep him.”

“Hey, that’s how I got Skewer!” Rico said excitedly. “After gettin’ back from the poachers, Mr. Mustard said I could keep him!”

“Lee said that the Dojo Master was a bit, how did he put it? Eccentric. But he’s smart as a whip and knows exactly what he’s doing at all times. He’s also insanely strong.”

“Did Mr. Mustard also give your brother his Gym-paper-endorsement-thingy?”

“Nope. He actually got that from the Chairman.”

Rico tensed. “The Chairman? Like ‘Chairman Rose’ Chairman?”

“Well he’s the only Chairman at the moment, so I would think so.” Hop chuckled. “One day when he was visiting Wedgehurst he saw Lee battling with some other Trainers and realized how amazing he was destined to become!”

“So… Leon trusts the Chairman?”

“I mean, he would, wouldn’t he? It’s thanks to the Chairman he got his endorsement after all.”

Rico nodded, somewhat lost in thought. If Leon and Hop trusted the Chairman, maybe he was afraid of him for no reason. He still didn’t understand why he had been so afraid in the first place.

Rico picked up his apple and took a bite when suddenly a pair of green eyes poked out the top. He yiped and threw it against the tree. The other Pokémon all looked up at once at the noise.

“Whoa! What’s wrong?” Hop asked, immediately turning to Rico.

“That apple had eyes!” Rico pointed at the fruit in question. As if responding to the comment, a pair of eyestalks popped out of the apple and it rolled forward, stopping a few feet away from the group in order to chitter angrily at them. Skewer stalked closer, not the slightest bit intimidated by the apple.

“Wow! That’s an Applin!” Hop said.

“A what?”

“It’s a Pokémon that lives in apples to hide from predators. It also uses the apple for food.”

Rico crouched down beside Skewer to get eye level with the angry apple.

“Hey, little fella. Sorry about eatin’ your home. Didn’t know someone was livin’ in there.”

“Axew.” Skewer said. Rico figuring he was also apologizing on behalf of his trainer.

Rico stuck a hand out to the little Pokémon, who leaned in as if to sniff (though Rico wasn’t sure if it had a nose). It suddenly turned its eyestalks up to Rico’s face and he watched as its pupils widened.

_Can you tell too? That I’m not human? How?_

“You know, Rico,” Hop started, “Applin is a dragon-type.”

“Seriously?” Rico stood up to face Hop. “This little fruit thing is a dragon?”

“Dragon and grass-type, in fact.”

Rico felt something touch his leg and looked down to see the Applin at his feet, making a gentle trilling noise now.

“I think she likes you, mate.” Hop said. 

_Just like Skewer._

“Pretty amazing. Even after you took a bite out of her apple. Is it because you’re a dragon too?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Rico shrugged. “I mean, Skewer was kinda like this when I met him too. I think they can tell.”

“So are you going to catch her?” Hop asked. “Looks like she wants to go with you.”

“Ya think so?” Rico looked down at the apple at his feet. “Do ya wanna come with us?”

The Applin trilled louder, rolling in a tight little circle.

Rico grinned, jumping back and pulling out a Pokéball. He was just getting ready to throw it when a piercing cry sounded overhead, startling them all.

Rico, Hop, and Skewer all looked up to see a dark mass flying high above them, carrying something vaguely car-shaped in its claws.

“Just a Corviknight taxi.” Hop said.

Rico dropped his gaze back to his quarry only to realize it had disappeared.

“Hey, where’d she go?”

Rico looked up to see an apple rolling down a hill in the distance.

“Wait!”

Rico and Skewer took off after the Applin, but by the time they reached the tall grass at base of the hill, the Applin was long gone.

Rico growled, punching the ground in frustration and startling Skewer. It hurt his hand but left a small scorch mark in the grass.

“Rico!” Rico looked back to see Hop running after him. He had put his jacket back on. “Did you find her?”

“No. She’s gone.”

“Aw, sorry, mate.” Hop said, going to pat Rico on the shoulder but quickly withdrawing his hand. The dragon was strangely hot to the touch. “It’s fine. Applin are a little uncommon, but they’re not rare. We could probably find another one around here.”

“But I don’t want another one.” Rico whimpered. “Why’d she have to run?”

“It was probably the Corviknight. It must have spooked her.” Hop reasoned.

Rico sniffled. He was not about to cry! But he really wanted to catch that Applin. Even if he found another one, it wouldn’t be the same. What if it didn’t like him? What if he couldn’t bond to it? What if it reacted negatively to feeling Rico was also a dragon?

“Let’s just go.” He said, feeling dejected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rico's a glutton.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if nothing particularly exciting happens during this chapter.

Rico was still sulking by the time they made it back up the hill. They had recalled most of their Pokémon at this point, though Skewer refused, concerned for his trainer. They looked up in time to see a large brick building before them.

“What’s this?” Rico asked. “It looks like a Daycare Center.”

“You’re close. It’s actually a Nursery.” Hop said.

“Like where Pokémon hatchlings come from?” Rico approached the woman in front, his glumness giving way to curiosity.

“Why, hello there.” The woman out front said. “Nice to see a new face around here.”

“Hi. Is this where the egg-makin’ takes place?”

The lady blinked, seemingly taken aback. “I beg your pardon?”

“Pokémon hatch from eggs, right?” Rico asked. “And the eggs have to come from somewhere, right?”

“Well, it’s true that when trainers leave two of Pokémon here, sometimes we find eggs-” 

“That must’ve been how Shorty was found!” Rico said. “So where do the eggs come from?”

The lady seemed a little flustered at the question.

“Well, um, if you’re interested in that sort of thing, I suggest you ask the lady inside to tell you more.”

“We’ll do that right now.” Hop said, dragging Rico to the door, Skewer quickly following.

“Hey, what gives?”

“I think you’ve tormented that lady enough.” Hop said. “If you want more answers, let’s ask inside.”

Rico grumbled but made no move to pull himself away from Hop’s grip as they entered the building.

They didn’t even make it as far as the counter before Rico rushed around the lobby, terrorizing all the baby Pokémon in his exuberance.

“Look at this! I’ve never seen a Wooper up close! Hey look, an Eevee! It’s so fluffy! Look at this pink stuffed bear- Wow, it’s alive! What kind of Pokémon is that?”

The few trainers that were in there at the time withdrew their Pokémon and gave him the stink eye as they left, not that Rico noticed. He saw Hop talking to a human near a magazine rack and bounded over.

“Hey, whatcha talkin’ about?” He looks down to see a small purple Pokemon clinging to the human’s leg, eyeing him warily. “What’s that?”

“Tox!” The Pokemon said.

“It’s a Toxel! A real Toxel! It hatched from the egg I was raising!” the human said.

“I was just talking to the breeder about the Pokémon she raises.” Hop said. “Apparently poison-types are her specialty, but this is her first Toxel.”

“And a right feisty one he is.” The breeder says, coaxing the little Pokémon out from behind her. “Why don’t one of you raise it?”

“What? Really?” Rico asked, surprised. “Why?”

“At the moment I have several other Pokémon that need attending, so I can’t keep all my attention on this one.” The breeder explained. “We just received a pair of Slowpoke as part of a breeding project. If it goes well, we may be able reintroduce the species into the wild here.”

“But didn’t ya say ya worked with poison-types?” Rico asked again. “Slowpoke’s a water-type.”

“Not the Slowpoke around here.” The breeder said. “They’re poison and psychic-type.”

It made Rico stop and think. He did remember there were Slowpoke in the Isle. They were unusual looking with their yellow markings. Another regional variant?

The Toxel crawled over to Hop, who bent down and picked him up, turning to address the breeder once more. “So why do the Slowpoke need to be reintroduced? That sounds like they used to be common around here.”

“They were several years ago.” The breeder explained. “But they were hunted to near extinction for their tails.”

Rico looked up from trying to touch the fussy Toxel at the breeder’s words. “Hunted?”

“Yes. You see, Slowpoke tails are a delicacy in many regions. While they fall off naturally and grow back rather quickly, some people hoping to make a profit off of them have been known to cut them off. This leaves the Pokémon unable to feed itself, considering Slowpoke use their tails to fish for food. And when the tails do finally grow back, they tend to be disfigured when forcefully removed.”

“That’s awful!” Rico growled. If you were going to catch prey, you were supposed to consume as much of it as you could, leaving nothing to go to waste. It was unnecessary and wasteful to kill an animal just to eat one small part of it and throw the rest of a perfect good meal away. 

“So true. That’s why these Slowpoke we just received are so important.”

It was hard to tell if Hop had been paying attention, he was completely enraptured with the little Toxel, making cooing noises at him and causing the Pokémon to giggle.

“Hey, he likes you.” Rico said.

“I think so too.” Hop said. 

Rico reached over to touch the Toxel and received an electrical jolt that made him yipe.

“Careful.” The breeder said. “It’s a real _shocking_ Pokémon.”

Skewer glared at the Toxel, not appreciating someone attacking his trainer like that. Rico, however, laughed.

“So ya gonna keep him?”

Hop looked at Rico, then back to the Toxel in his arms. “Should I?”

“Why not? The next Gym is water-type so you’re gonna need somethin’ to counter that. And I already got Shorty.”

Hop lifted Toxel into the air, causing the little Pokémon to squeal happily.

“Alright then Toxel! You’re coming with me! We’re going all the way to the Championship!”

Rico smiled. “Welcome to the fleet.” He tried to touch the Toxel again, this time getting something on his hand that began to tingle and burn.

He yelped, leaping back and shaking his hand.

“Toxel’s a poison-type too, you know.” The breeder said.

“Nice to know.” Rico let out a pained growl, desperately rubbing his hand against the wall. He was sorely tempted to lick his digits to soothe the burning, but knew better than to that in the presence of another human. Hop already gave him a funny look the first time he saw him do it.

Hop looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh or be concerned. Rico waved him off. He was fine. Really. It hurt, but it wasn’t enough to dissolve his flesh or anything. It would have probably hurt even less if he had the protection of his scales. He really missed being a dragon.

“I’m going to take Toxel outside.” Hop said. “If you’re still interested in Pokémon breeding, try asking the lady at the counter there. I’ll meet you outside.”

Rico nodded. The burning sensation finally calmed down, leaving a red mark. It was almost funny in a way. Being a fire dragon, he never had to worry about getting burned. Acid doesn’t burn the same way fire does, though. 

He walked up to the counter as Hop exited the building, still cooing to his new Toxel. In all honestly, the woman didn’t tell Rico anything he didn’t already know. Leave two Pokémon of opposite genders in the nursery, sometimes eggs are found, and Trainers carry them around until they hatch. Still, he listened politely and nodded at the appropriate times. One thing that was strange to him is that the eggs didn’t seem to need to be incubated. No one mentioned anything about setting up a nest or keeping the eggs warm. It also seemed no one knew where the eggs came from either. Scourge told Rico a couple of years ago that dragon eggs came from egg cartons. It made him wonder if Pokémon came from something similar. Must be a pretty big carton either way.

As he turned to leave he noticed the breeder from before was still there. Bending down to pick up Skewer, he made his way over to her.

“So ya said ya work with poison-types, right?”

“That’s right. Is there something you wanted to know?”

Rico held up his Axew for the breeder to see.

“Do ya know how to teach Pokémon poison-types moves?”

************

Rico stepped out of the building feeling much better than when he went in. He hoped Skewer’s new move would work when the time came to use it. He looked around, not seeing Hop anywhere nearby.

Strange. Did he run on ahead? Wait, which way was ahead?

He picked a direction and started to walk when Skewer grabbed his pant leg.

“Yew!”

“What?”

Skewer pointed in the opposite direction. Rico saw he was pointing toward a bridge. There was some kind of commotion going on. It sounded like people were arguing. As he approached, he noticed something shiny and metallic clutched in one of the human’s arms.

“Oi! Just hand over that bike already!”

“Yeah, we need it to cross this long bridge!”

Rico looked at the humans on the bridge. He immediately recognized their back and pink clothing, complete with spikes all over their forms.

“Hey, Team Yell!” Rico said. “Marnie’s fan club. How y’all doin’?”

The two grunts stopped yelling long enough to give Rico a confused look.

“Who are you?”

Rico cocked his head. “The Budew Drop Inn? Marnie told y’all to stop harrasin’ people.”

“You’ve met our special lady?”

It occurred to Rico that maybe these grunts were different from the ones he met at the Inn. He hated to be the kind of dragon who assumed all humans looked the same, but…

“Hey, you! Gym Challenger!”

Rico turned to come face to face with a human with graying hair. He must have been getting on in years. He was clutching some mangled-looking hunk of metal in his arms.

“Can you help? They’re trying to steal my bike!”

“What bike?” Rico glanced around but didn’t see a bike anywhere.

“This one right here!” The man held out the mangled metal for Rico to see. Why would anyone want to steal that? “If you give them a good thrashing, I would be in your debt!”

“We’re not trying to steal the bike! Only borrow it!” one of the grunts declared. “We’re gonna use it to chase around Gym Challengers and tire ‘em out! It’ll be a scream!”

“That sounds fun!”

Skewer smacked Rico on the leg.

“I mean that’s bad. Y’all shouldn’t be doin’ that.”

“Then I’m thinkin’ you deserve a special shout-out! I’m gonna crush you in battle!”

“Yeah! I want that bike! Don’t get in our way!”

The two humans squared up to Rico, pulling out their Pokéballs and sending out a Sableye and a large foxlike Pokemon. A quick check with his Rotom’s Pokedex confirmed it was called Theivul, the evolved form of Nickit. He had to laugh. The whiskers on the Pokémon’s snout made it look like it had a mustache.

“What’re you laughin at!?” the grunt snapped.

Skewer smacked Rico’s leg again. Rico looked down to the Axew giving him a disapproving look.

“What’re you, my brother?” Rico scoffed. “Just get in there!”

Rico released Tajin from his Pokéball to assist Skewer in battle. Tajin’s Double Kick made short work of the Theivul, but that Sableye was tricky. Its Fake Out caused Skewer to flinch, leaving him open to get attacked with Scratch. The attack did little damage, however. It must have been low leveled. With a combined Ember and Dragon Rage they managed to bring the Sableye down.

“Nice teamwork, guys!” Rico complimented his two Pokémon. Skewer smiled up at Tajin, who winked back.

The grunts let out cries of frustration.

“You’re too strong! If you stay in the Gym Challenge, you’re gonna cause problems for our lady!”

“Speakin’ of Marnie,” Rico crossed his arms, “would she approve of the way you two are actin’ right now?”

That shut them up. The grunts quickly recalled their Pokémon and retreated across the bridge. 

“You ‘aven’t seen the last of us!” one called back as he ran. “We’re gonna make sure you stay out of our lady’s way!”

Rico stared after them. When he saw Marnie again, he might tell her about what her group was up to.

Someone approached him from behind and he whipped around to see the man from earlier. Rico had completely forgotten he was there.

“My, you’re quite the Trainer.”

Rico reached back to scratch his neck. “Aw, I’m not sure about that. Skewer and Tajin did all of the work.”

“Yew!” Skewer puffed out his chest. Tajin rolled his eyes at the display.

“I noticed you have a phone with you. I’m assuming that means you have a Rotom too?” the man asked.

“Oh yeah! Right here!” Rico reached for his phone, but it flew out of his pocket on its own. “This is Dex!”

“Dex?”

“Yep. I named it Dex ‘cause of the Pokedex.”

“Bzzzt! It wazzz better than hizzz first option.” The phone chirped. 

“I still don’t think there’s anything wrong with Glitch.” Rico said.

“I am fully operational. I am not glitchy! Bzzzt!”

The man laughed at their exchange. “Well, I better get this bike back to my kiosk. Other trainers will be coming around to rent them out soon.”

“That thing is a bike?” Rico asked, pointing at the metal in the man’s hands.

The man smiled. “Watch this.”

He proceeded to twist and unfold the metal in front of Rico, and before long, much to the latter’s surprise, a complete bicycle was sitting in front of him.

_So that’s how trainers are able to pull a whole freakin’ bicycle outta their bags in the games,_ Rico thought.

“But that’s not the only feature it has.” The man continued. “You know how Rotom love motors, right?”

Rico nodded. “Yeah, I heard they like to get into machines and make them glitch!”

“I am NOT glitchy! Bzzzt!” Dex insisted.

“Well, not y _ou_ specifically.” Rico said.

“Anyway,” the man said, “I was thinking if I attached a motor to a bicycle-”

“You’d get a motorcycle?” Rico asked.

“No, I was thinking I could get a Rotom to pop into that as well!”

Rico cocked his head. “I… see?”

The man showed the slot fit between the handlebars where Rico’s Rotom could attach itself.

“Give it a shot some time! You and Dex can ride together.” He said before he picked up his contraption and walked across the bridge.

Rico stared at the man in front of him. It was a genuinely nice bike for sure, all shiny and red. There was just one problem.

“But I don’t know how to ride a bike!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually named my first Rotom Glitch. Also I was thinking of these bikes during the writing of this chapter:
> 
> https://www.jebiga.com/sada-collapsible-bike/  
> (this is supposedly a prototype, but there are other brands of collapsible bikes out there)


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick reunion and battle and we're almost to Hulbury!

Dex was floating in the air, not particularly happy he had to be separated from such a wonderful motor.

“I thought most children your age knew how to operate bicycles.”

“You know I ain’t human, Dex. Where I come from, we don’t really use bikes. At least me and Scourge never used ‘em. Don’t know about other dragons. Or griffins.”

“It would not hurt to learn how to use other means of transportation in this world.”

“I prefer to fly.”

“Well, unless you plan on throwing off that jacket in the next ten minutes, I suggest you get used to walking like a pedestrian if you do not use the bike.”

Rico snorted, grabbing the phone and shoving it back in his pocket. Since when did Dex get so sassy?

He still hadn’t seen any sign of Hop. Was he even going the right way? Dex was still pouting and not keen on bringing up the map at the moment.

Just when he was deciding between calling and tracking him, Hop came running up the bridge, Toxel clinging to his head, stopping a few feet away to try and catch his breath. Why was he panting so hard? He looked like he just ran a marathon, not stepped outside to play with his new Toxel.

“Where were ya? Are ya alright?” Rico asked.

“Yeah…just…had to…do something…real quick.” Hop got out between breaths.

“I thought ya got lost.”

Hop scoffed. “I told you I don’t get lost that easy. I’m not like Lee.”

He glanced down to see both Skewer and Tajin outside their Pokéballs. “So were you trying to get some training in without me?”

“What? No! Tajin and Skewer were just helpin’ me chase off some of those Team Yell grunts!”

“Team Yell was here?”

“Yup. Harrasin’ some old man over a bike.”

“Was it one of those flash new bikes that has the motor attached to it?”

“Ya seen it?”

“Yeah! There are a few kiosks set up along these routes so Trainers can rent them out. They’re still fairly new, but they’re catching on fast. Probably won’t be long before you see them all over the region.”

“Well, I’m not sure if I’d ever use it.” Rico said. “I don’t even know how to ride a bike.”

“Really?” Hop asked, incredulous. “That’s kinda sad. What kind of kid doesn’t know how to ride a bike?”

Rico shrugged. “Never really needed to. Also, normally I’m on all fours, so I don’t think I’d be able to sit on one these things.”

“I’ve seen a Poketube video where someone taught their Arcanine how to ride a bike.” Hop mentioned. “If a dog can do it, I’m sure a dragon can too. I can teach you if you want.”

“Maybe later. How’s Toxel?”

Hop just seemed to remember the Pokémon riding on his head. He lifted him off and cradled him in his arms. 

“Great! He’s young, but pretty tough. He actually just helped me…” Hop suddenly trailed off.

“Helped ya do what?”

“Hey, when’s the last time we had a battle – you and me? We just got our Grass Badges! This would be the perfect time to train!”

That transition was as subtle as Rico when he was hungry (which was often). 

Tajin hopped in place, clearly eager to fight. Little spitfire.

Rico expected Hop to send out Scotch or Snipes, but was surprised to see Hop set down Toxel in front of him.

Tajin made to step forward, but Rico held out an arm.

“Sorry, Tajin. I think ya might be a bit too much for a hatchling.”

Tajin crossed his arms and huffed. Rico snickered at his indignance, pulling out Shorty’s Pokéball instead.

“Shorty, go!”

The Pichu stretched his little arms and looked at his opponent. Toxel wasn’t much bigger than him, but Shorty seemed a bit intimidated.

“Electric against electric, huh?” Hop asked.

“I was thinkin’ more hatchling against hatchling.” Rico responded. 

“You better not be going easy on me!”

“Hell nah! Shorty, use Nuzzle!”

Shorty rubbed his cheek pouches against Toxel, but it didn’t seem to do much to the baby Pokemon.

“Hah! Electric-types can’t get paralyzed!” Hop said. “Jimi, hit him with Acid!”

‘Jimi’ reared back and spat a stream of acid at Shorty. The Pichu squeaked in pain as the acid burned through his fur. Rico winced. He’d been sprayed with acid before and knew how much it hurt.

“Shorty are you ok?”

Shorty looked ready to cry, but stood his ground. Did he want to keep going? Despite how frightened he was? Tough little rodent, that one was.

“Ok, I’ll admit, your Pichu is pretty cute. But that’s not going to stop us from attacking! Use Acid again!”

“Shorty, get outta the way!”

Shorty ran to dodge, but still had acid splash his tail. This caused him to cry out once again, letting loose a shower of sparks.

“Whoa! Calm down!” Rico took a step back to avoid getting electrocuted. “Volt Switch!”

Shorty whipped back to Jimi and loosed a ball of electricity at Jimi, immediately returning to his ball as the move struck Jimi.

“Recalling him already?”

“I think Shorty’s had enough for now.” Rico said. He turned to the two Pokémon at his side. Tajin’s eyes lit up like fire.

“Skewer, you’re up.”

The Axew ran up to confront Jimi while Tajin made a show of dramatically fainting.

“Use Scratch!”

Skewer rushed at Jimi, claws at the ready.

“Use Nuzzle!”

Jimi lunged for Skewer, but the latter managed to dodge and rake his claws over the poison-type.

“Great job! Now use Bite!”

Skewer chomped down on the side of Jimi’s head, making the baby Pokemon cry out.

“Use Flail to make him let go!”

Jimi flailed his arms and legs, landing several hits on Skewer and forcing him to let go. 

“Now use Acid!”

The burning bite of acid made Skewer yipe.

“Don’t let him get away with that, Skewer! Scratch him again!”

“Flail!”

The two Pokémon continued to exchange blows, but Jimi wasn’t high enough leveled to stand up to Skewer, eventually succumbing to a final Scratch attack. Hop returned Jimi.

“Not bad for your first battle, mate.” He told the ball. 

Scotch was next. Rico called Skewer back, letting Tajin finally burn off some of his eager energy in a battle.

“Ember!”

“Headbutt!”

Scotch rolled right through Tajin’s Ember to buck Tajin back. 

“Flame Charge!”

“Copycat!”

Two flaming Pokémon clashed in the middle of the bridge, evenly matched. Rico was impressed. 

“Scotch’s gotten pretty strong. But I bet Tajin’s stronger. Double Kick!”

Tajin, while still on fire, swung his legs out to kick Scotch back.

“Now Quick Attack!”

“Double Kick him back!”

Tajin was fast, made even faster thanks to the boost by Flame Charge, but Scotch (who also received the speed boost) was able to turn around quickly enough to kick him back to Rico’s side. Tajin wasted no time getting back up. 

“Ember!”

A spattering of flames burned Scotch’s wool. 

“Shake it off, Scotch! Use Headbutt!”

Despite the burn, Scotch charged forward into a roll. Tajin met him with Flame Charge. With Scotch’s Attack being cut by the burn, he was overpowered by Tajin’s Flame Charge, pushed back and collapsing in front of Hop.

“Great job, Tajin!”

Hop returned his Wooloo, praising his effort, before sending out Snipes. He wsted no time ordering him to use Water Pulse. Tajin managed to dodge thanks to increased speed.

“Double Kick!”

Right as Tajin got ready to use his move, Hop called out, “Sucker Punch!”

Snipes suddenly slugged Tajin in the gut. 

Whoa! That was fast! What kind of move was Sucker Punch?

“Quick Attack!”

“Sucker Punch again!”

Every time Tajin went to use a move, he was slugged by Snipes’ Sucker Punch. Rico was getting frustrated. How was he supposed to land an attack like this?

“Try Flame Charge!” Maybe if he could raise Tajin’s speed a little higher he would be able to strike.

“Water Pulse!”

Snipes’ Water Pulse managed to douse Tajin’s flames, reducing his move to a simple Quick Attack.

“Now Bind!”

Snipes immediately had Tajin wrapped in his tail, squeezing the rabbit tight.

“Finish it with another Water Pulse!”

Tajin couldn’t free himself in time and took the attack head on. Snipes let the fire-type slump to the ground.

“Ya did your best, buddy.” Rico said upon returning him.

“Not bad, huh? I’m catching up.” Hop said proudly. 

“Don’t get too cocky.” Rico said, sending out Nugget.

“Rock Smash!”

Nugget flew straight into Snipes, causing the large lizard to stumble back. Hop ordered another Water Pulse, but Nugget easily dodged by flying up. Rico told Nugget to use Peck, which had Nugget repeatedly swooping in to strike, then flying out of the way before Snipes could hit her. Snipes was tiring, but finally landed a hit with Sucker Punch. It wasn’t enough to put Nugget out of commission, and she managed to finish the lizard off with a power packed Rock Smash.

“That Nugget of yours is pretty strong.” Hop said upon returning Snipes. “She might be getting ready to evolve soon.”

“Really?” Rico looked at the chubby little bird perched in the middle of the bridge, preening her feathers. “Is she gonna look like Ace?”

“Rookidee evolves into Corvisquire, so yeah. Speaking of which…”

Hop released Ace from his ball and immediately ordered a Fury Attack against Nugget. Nugget fell back, but quickly took to the air. Unfortunately, her opponent could follow her into the sky. 

“Use Taunt!” Rico was going to make sure Hop couldn’t use Hone Claws, rendering Power Trip useless. 

“Fury Attack again!”

Ace was a lot faster and stronger ever since he evolved. Rico decided to take a risk, having Nugget charge up for Sky Attack. Though Ace wasn’t able to raise his stats with Hone Claws, his Fury Attack was still overwhelming Nugget. Hopefully, this would be enough.

Nugget flew in an arch, glowing brightly, and slammed into Ace with all she was worth, knocking the Corvisquire out of the sky. At first Rico thought that was it, but Ace got right back up. Crap. Rico really underestimated how much stronger Ace had gotten.

“Nice try, but Ace isn’t going down that easily! Pluck!” 

Ace’s beak glowed white, and he rammed beak first into Nugget, knocking her out on impact.

Rico returned her and looked at her ball. “It’s okay. Once ya look like Ace, you’ll be able to keep up no problem.” He then turned to Skewer. “S’up to you, buddy.”

“Yew!” Skewer ran back to the makeshift battlefield, ready to go a second time.

Hop ordered another Pluck, which Skewer was able to block with his tusk. Skewer then bit down on Ace’s wing. However, the now much larger bird managed to shake off Skewer and then hit him with another flurry of Fury Attacks. Rico needed to change tactics and quick.

“Skewer, Poison Jab!”

Skewer’s claws turned purple and he struck Ace in the keel. The bird managed to not get poisoned, but the attack sent him staggering back.

“Wow! When did Skewer learn Poison Jab?” Hop asked.

“The breeder taught him that. I wanted Skewer to have an advantage over fairy-types.” Rico explained.

“Impressive, but we’ll see if it’s enough. Fury Attack again!”

“Try to block it!”

Skewer managed to fend off most of Ace’s attack until his left tusk snapped off, much to the shock of both parties. Skewer seemed particularly angry after the fact. 

“Let’s get revenge for that! Dragon Rage!”

The purple shockwave hit Ace dead on. Before he could recover enough to attack, Skewer fished the bird with a really powerful Scratch.

Afterwards Hop paid Rico out his prize money. “We both got the same Grass Badge, so how come you’re so much stronger? I guess I’m going to have to train even harder form now on.”

“Hey, ya had me backed into a corner there for a while.” Rico pointed out. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

That was enough to make Hop crack a small smile. “Sorry about Skewer’s tusk.”

“It’s okay. Axew tusk break off and grow back all the time. This just means his next one will be even stronger.”

“Still kind of awkward to have it happen in the middle of battle, though.”

Rico handed Hop a couple of potions to heal his Pokémon, insisting he take it even as Hop reassured Rico he had his own. Hop must have felt obligated to give him something in return, because he handed Rico a revive. The reciprocal gift made Rico happier than he’d like to admit.

“Hey, do Trainers ever fight?” Rico asked.

“Isn’t that what we just did?”

“I mean fight each other. Without Pokémon.”

“Hmmm. Well, some people may get angry enough to try to throw punches, but most disputes are solved with Pokémon battles.”

“So the Pokémon do all the work? Seems kinda lazy on the human’s part.”

“Do dragons fight a lot?”

“Only all the time! Ya should see me and Scourge when we really get into it.”

“You guys fight a lot? Sorry to hear.”

Rico laughed. “Are ya kidding? It’s a ton of fun!”

“You fight for fun?” 

Rico nodded enthusiastically. “Yup!”

“That’s not that different from Pokémon. It’s not just Trainers who have them battle. Even wild Pokémon will battle each other for fun, for territory, or for shows of strength.”

“Hmmm… guess so.” Rico mused, putting his arms behind his head as they walked. Partway across the bridge, something interesting caught Rico’s attention.

“Wow!”

Rico ran up to the edge of the bridge and leaned over. There was a huge structure in the distance.

“Look at that wacky-lookin’ castle!”

“I think that’s Hammerlocke stadium.” Hop said.

“How right you are.”

Rico and Hop turned to see an older passerby crossing the bridge.

“You’re going to battle there, too. It’s where the final and most powerful gym in the Gym Challenge is located.”

With that, the passerby walked off. Skewer was trying to climb up the railing, so Rico picked him up so he could see.

“See it, Skewer? We’re gonna kick some butt there soon enough!”

“I’m looking forward to it too! But we’ve still got quite a ways to go before we reach Hammerlocke.”

“What’s stoppin’ us from goin’ now?”

“Well, for one, we need seven more badges before we can challenge the Hammerlocke Gym. And second, we have to cross the Wild Area once again.”

Hop pointed down, and Rico saw the expanse of the Wild Area below. This area looked different. He could see cliffsides, boulders, deserts, and what looked like a large lake in the distance. 

“I’m excited to get to the next gym and all, but I hope we can go back to the Wild Area soon.”

“Why’s that?”

“I just really want a chance to stretch my wings, ya know?”

It never occurred to Hop, actually. He had to remember that his friend wasn’t human, and that he was concealing a pair of wings under that coat of his.

A pair of wings that had been confined for several days at this point. Hop winced. He didn’t have wings himself, but he knew what muscle cramps felt like and figured Rico keeping his wings tightly folded against his back must have been pretty uncomfortable.

“Does it hurt? Keeping your wings all scrunched up against your back like that?”

“Not really. Though I’m bettin’ they’re gonna be a bit sore once I finally get to stretch ‘em out. I really just wanna fly. It’s weird being grounded for so long.”

“You miss being a dragon?”

“Of course. This is fun and all, but… it’s not really me. It’s just meant to be a disguise. So we can talk to humans and what not.”

Rico set Skewer back down. Enough of this lamenting. He wanted to stop thinking about it and move on to the next thing.

“Hey look at that!”

Rico was distracted by an Eldegoss floating by, chasing after it until it blew over the edge of the bridge.

“What’re you doing?” Hop chuckled.

Hop’s question snapped Rico back to the present.

“Uh…” 

Rico really had to keep a handle on his prey drive before he hurt something.

They were about halfway across the bridge when Hop suggested they race the rest of the way to Hulbury. Rico grinned and accepted the challenge. If he was a little slower to reach the entrance to the town, he’d blame it on having to stop to pick up Skewer along the way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone curious about what Hop was up to?


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encounter with the Chairman and Nessa.

Hulbury was a seaside town with markets and ports for ships. Rico took a sniff of the damp and salty air. Though he sort of liked the smell because it reminded him of fresh fish, being this close to the ocean made him nervous. What if there was a tsunami?

Hop shared none of his concern, looking around with awe. 

“I’ve been to some of the local markets before, but I’ve never been to Hulbury. This place has a famous seafood restaurant called the Captain’s Table.”

“Didja say seafood?” Now Rico’s mouth was really watering. When was the last time he had mackerel? Or tuna? Or salmon? Or herring? Or-

“Let’s go right now!” Rico charged right on ahead.

“Whoa, wait up!” Hop said. “If you had this kind of energy when we were racing across the bridge, maybe you would’ve won!”

“I didn’t know there was seafood at stake!” Rico called back. “Else I would’ve been here yesterday!”

Rico didn’t make it much further, as a gathering crowd was blocking the road. He growled in frustration. So close and yet so far away!

“Hey, what’s going on?” Hop asked once he caught up.

The two of them carefully maneuvered through the crowd until they were close enough to see the cause of the commotion. Skewer felt his trainer immediately tighten his grip around him.

“Our sincerest apologies! The Chairman is quite busy at the moment…”

Rico recognized the scary blonde lady from the Opening Ceremony. She was standing next to Chairman Rose the whole time. Speaking of Rose…

Seriously, what the hell was he wearing? A white track suit over green swim trunks? And a blue cap and sunglasses? Was this supposed to be a disguise? That tracksuit really showed off his gut unnecessarily more than that fancy gray suit did. 

_Fatass._

“Everyone please, disperse.” The scary lady continued, holding out her arms as if forming an invisible barrier. “Please leave now!”

Most of the crowd seemed reluctant to leave, but the herd slowly began to thin out with a few goodbyes to the Chairman.

“No need to rush off! I can still do more autographs.” The Chairman called out to the disappearing crowd. “I’ll even give you my Pokémon League card!”

“Attention whore, much?” Rico muttered.

“What was that?” Hop asked.

“Nothin’.”

Rico’s mood dampened further when he saw who else was at the Chairman’s side. None other than that punk Bede. He gritted his teeth. Skewer let out a small cry that let Rico know he was squeezing him too hard.

“Oleana, we need the support of our fans to keep doing what we’re doing.” The Chairman said to the scary lady, crossing his arms like a petulant child. “Chasing everyone off like that… don’t you think you’re being a bit too harsh?” 

“Fans are important, but that is precisely why you need to keep doing your work – for their sake.” Oleana sounded as no-nonsense as she looked.

“And I promise to do everything in my power to assist you too, Mr. Chairman!” Bede spoke up.

“Hey, isn’t that Bede?” Hop asked.

“What a brown-noser.” Rico said.

Rose turned around, seemingly just noticing the boy behind him. “Oh, and you were…?”

It made Rico snort, barely stifling a laugh. For all high and mighty and important Bede claimed to be, his endorser didn’t even remember his name!

“Ouch. Talk about awkward.” Hop muttered.

“Bede, sir.” Bede clenched his fists to his sides ever so slightly.

“That’s right, Bede!” The Chairman said like he just had a revelation. “I daresay I’m impressed with how far you’ve come since I gave you that Hatenna all those years ago. Will you be the one to win the Gym Challenge? Or perhaps it will be one of the Trainers endorsed by the Champion.”

“I will prove your faith in me was well placed, sir. I won’t lose to anyone!” Bede bragged.

_Except me! Why that little-_

“Anyway, I’ll be on my way now.” Bede stalked off with an air of arrogance that made Rico want to punch him.

_What a tool._

It was at that moment the Chairman and Oleana turned and saw them standing there. Looking around, Rico realized that no one else was around. The crowd had fully dispersed, leaving him, Hop, and Skewer out in the open, completely exposed.

If seeing the Chairman at a distance was enough to make Rico nervous, having his full attention directly on him was panic inducing. Rico reached up with one hand and clawed at his hat, reassuring himself it was on properly.

“Ah, you two. You’re the young aspiring Trainers endorsed by the Champion, right?” Rose asked as he began to approach. “I recognize you of course, Hop. Younger brother to our dear Champion Leon. But I’m afraid I don’t know your friend here.”

“This is Rico.” Hop said.

Rose turned to look closer at Rico. Part of Rico wanted to hide behind Hop, but another part felt the need to step up to protect him.

_It’s fine. It’s fine._ Rico reassured himself. _Leon trusts the Chairman. Hop does too. Lots of people seem to like him. He can’t be dangerous. You’re just overeactin’._

_Then why do I still feel like prey?_

“I’ll admit I’m curious about Leon’s decision to endorse you.” Rose said. “Hop, being the Champion’s brother, makes sense, but as far as I know you have no relation to him yourself.”

“Well, I… well… um…” Rico stammered.

“Lee saw Rico’s potential as my rival!” Hop declared. Rico was relieved for his intervention.

“Is that so?” Rose said, never taking his eyes off of Rico. “I see you have an Axew. That’s quite the rare Pokémon for Trainers to have this early on in the Gym Challenge. May I ask where you got it?”

“Isle of Armor.” Rico blurted. “The Dojo Master gave him to me.”

Rose reached out as if to pet Skewer, but quickly withdrew his hand when the Axew growled at him.

“Sorry!” Rico said. “He’s… not used to strangers.”

Rose stepped back. “Then I suggest you work on training him a bit more. It wouldn’t be appropriate for your Pokémon to be attacking other challengers now, would it?”

Rico nodded quickly. 

“Ah! I just had a good idea, as I tend to do!” Rose suddenly declared, making Rico flinch. “You’re going to face Gym Leader Nessa soon, yes?” 

“You bet!” Hop said. “We actually headed to the Gym now to register!”

“When you get a Gym Badge from her, I’ll hold a celebration. I’d like to get to know you two a little better, after all.” Rose looked at Rico once more. “Especially you.”

Rico inaudibly gulped.

“Nessa’s gym shouldn’t be too difficult.” Rose said. “If she focused more on her skills as a Gym Leader rather than modelling, maybe she’d put up more of a challenge.”

Oleana approached the Chairman and said something in his ear. “Chairman, we should really be going…”

Rose nods in response. As he walked away, he called out over his shoulder. “Do your best, for the sake of Galar’s future!”

Oleana then turned to the boys, expression stern.

“The Chairman will be heading to this town’s seafood restaurant, The Captain’s Table. Win the Gym Badge and join him there at once. Do not keep him waiting.”

With that, she turned heel and left, heels clicking down the road as she followed the Chairman.

“She’s a bit intimidating, huh?” Hop chuckled, but stopped when he received no response. “Rico?”

He reached out to touch his shoulder and drew back when Rico jumped.

“Whoa! Are you okay?”

_No._ “Yeah. Just… thinkin’ I guess.”

“I think you’re holding Skewer a bit tight.”

Rico looked down to see Skewer squirming. He loosened his grip and the Axew sighed with relief.

“Sorry, buddy.”

Skewer looked up at him, but he wasn’t mad. He looked more concerned. Rico gave him a weak smile, trying to convey that he was fine.

“This just keeps getting better!” Hop said. “I got to meet the Chairman twice in the same week and we just got invited to one of the most top-rated restaurants in all of the Galar region! Hey, we should stop at the Pokémon Center before we head to the Gym. Might be good to get Skewer’s tusk checked out, too.”

Rico glanced once more down the road where the Chairman disappeared before shaking his head and quickly following Hop into the Center.

The nurse didn’t tell Rico anything he didn’t already know about Axew tusk, but he still listened politely. Skewer would be fine. Rico just had to keep an eye on him to make sure the new tusk grew in properly, and take it easy battling since he only had one tusk to fight with for now. After the boys received their newly healed teams, Hop pulled out his phone to look up the town map.

“Let’s see… it looks like the Gym is just east of Hulbury station. We’ll be passing the docks on the way there.”

“We won’t get too close to the water, right?” Rico asked, letting Skewer settle onto his shoulder.

“Don’t think so. Why?”

“Toldja before. I can’t swim.”

“You might have some trouble with this gym then, mate. Considering it’s water-type and all.”

“S’long as I don’t gotta be in the water, I’ll be fine.”

They left the center shortly, Hop showing Rico the way to the Stadium. Luckily, it was relatively hard to miss, a big bluish-purple dome in the distance, but they had to go around the far side of the docks to reach it.

When they reached the door, however, they found it blocked by who Rico assumed was a fisher, judging by the rod she carried.

“You two are Gym Challengers, right?” she asked. “Sorry to inform, you, but the Gym Leader isn’t in at the moment.”

“What!? We came all the way here for nothin’?” Rico groaned.

“Do you know where the Gym Leader went?” Hop asked.

“She’s likely either at the docks or the lighthouse.” The fisher responded.

“Then that’s where we’re goin’!” Rico declared, spinning around and running off.

“Rico, wait!” Hop called after him. “The docks are in the other direction!”

Rico must not have heard him because he didn’t stop, disappearing around the corner.

Hop sighed, but had a fond smile on his face as he trailed after the dragon.

************

It took Hop longer to find Rico than he’d like to admit. He thought all the time he spent rounding up his brother would have made him an expert at this. At first, he thought Rico had ended up back at the Pokémon Center, but there was no sign of him. Knowing how much the dragon liked food, he checked the Captain’s Table, but Oleana was blocking the entry like a security guard, a small crowd of people outside the gate straining to catch a glimpse of the Chairman through the windows. There was no way Rico was in there. Even Hop was a little intimidated by Oleana. The only place left he could think to check was the seaside market. He traveled down the road until he could see the multicolored shops and several people milling about. Too bad Hop couldn’t track by scent like Rico could. How was he supposed to find him in this crowd? He walked amongst the different shopfronts, noticing various wares for sale from herbs to fruit to incense. He finally spotted Rico next to a picnic table, talking to a woman.

“Rico!”

Rico looked up and grinned when he saw Hop. Skewer waved from his spot on Rico’s shoulder.

“Hiya!”

“What’re you doing?”

“Well I couldn’t find the docks, but I smelled something tasty and that’s when I saw the market, so I came over. I was gonna ask someone for directions, but I got distracted by all the shops and kinda forgot what I was doin’.”

“Right. And who is this?” Hop asked, gesturing to the woman.

“Oh, sorry. This is Grazia. Grazia, this is my friend, Hop.”

“Hello, young man.” Grazia said.

“Grazia was lookin’ for a Minccino to trade for her Cottonee.” Rico explained.

“Sorry, miss. Neither of us have a Minccino.” Hop said.

“No good, huh?” Grazia said. “I guess I’m just going to have to keep looking. It was nice talking to you, Rico. Your Axew is really cute by the way. Hope his tusk grows back okay.”

She got up and said goodbye to the boys before moving off to talk to another trainer, presumably still trying to find someone to trade with.

“I can’t believe you wandered all the way down here.” Hop chuckled. “This is the complete opposite of the docks.”

“Gimme a break. I didn’t know where I was goin’.”

“And that’s why you look at the map. Or ask someone who knows where they’re going. Like me.”

Rico chose to ignore him, instead noticing a nearby shop selling packaged snacks. He was immediately drawn in. According to the shopkeeper, the shop sold a variety of treats from all over the world. Rico bought himself something called a Lava Cookie, a specialty from Lavaridge Town in the Hoenn region. It tasted more like a cracker than a cookie, but it was enjoyable all the same. He heard Hop let out something akin to a strangled shriek and turned to him in alarm.

“What!? What is it?”

“They have Pewter Crunchies!” Hop exclaimed, grabbing a bag. “These are so hard to get back in Postwick!” 

After paying, Hop immediately tore into the bag with a ravenousness that could rival a dragon.

“Ya really like those, huh?” Rico asked.

Hop nodded, not dumb enough to talk with his mouth full. He offered a few pieces for Rico to try, who happily took it. It definitely lived up to its crunchy name. He wasn’t sure what he had expected it to taste like, salty maybe, but it had a twinge of sweetness too. Rico gave one to Skewer, who seemed to enjoy it as well.

“Sometimes the Wedgehurst market has some, but they sell out fast and don’t get regular shipments.” Hop explained. “I’m real happy you got lost, Rico, or I might’ve missed out on this.”

“Glad something good came out of it.” Rico said. “We gonna find the Gym Leader next?”

“That’s right!” Hop said. “We gotta head to the docks! C’mon, Rico! Follow me so you don’t get lost!” 

Rico waited until Hop was out of earshot before whipping around to face the shopkeeper so quickly Skewer almost fell off his shoulder.

“Bring me every bag of Pewter Crunchies ya got.”

************

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. The Pewter Crunchies weren’t heavy, but he bought so many there was no room in his bag for anything else. Not that he could afford to buy anything else, as that massive purchase left him with only a few hundred Pokédollars to his name. Nothing to do about it now. He wasn’t about to take it all back. He noticed Hop near a tunnel leading out of Hulbury, where a pair of Team Yell grunts had stationed themselves. Hop was still holding the half empty bag of Crunchies.

“Hey, Rico. Remember these guys from Motostoke?”

“Team Yell! Seems like I’ve been seein’ them a lot lately.”

The grunts were waving their banners around while singing.

_“Our Marnie’ all done with Hulbury! Our Marnie’s all done with the sea! Our Marnie defeats every leader, and she’ll bring us all victory!”_

Rico clapped when they were done. “That was really good!”

The grunts seemed a little taken aback, like they weren’t expecting a compliment.

“T-thanks. Our Marnie is the best after all!”

They began cheering even louder.

Rico and Hop turned away shortly after, heading back up the road toward the gym.

“Too bad. Sounds like we just missed Marnie.” Rico said.

“It’s pretty amazing she’s got her own fan club to cheer her on. I’ll bet she’s a powerful trainer. But that Team Yell can be a bit of a nuisance.” Hop said, taking another bite of his snack.

“They’re probably just overexcited. I don’t think they’re really bad.”

“Is that why you’re being so nice to them?”

“That can’t be that bad if they’re friends of Marnie. Besides, I like her.”

Hop choked on his snack. Rico delivered a sharp smack right between his shoulder blades, maybe a little harder than necessary.

“Not like that, asshat.” Rico growled. “Ya already know my preference.”

“Did you just say ‘asshat?’”

“If ya ever meet Scourge, please don’t tell him I said that.”

“And all this time I thought you were too prim and proper to cuss.”

Rico stopped in his tracks for a minute, causing Hop to wonder if he said something wrong, when the dragon suddenly burst out laughing.

“I ain’t ever heard anyone call my way of talkin’ proper.”

They made it back to the gym and headed east towards the docks. Rico didn’t want to get too close to the water, so Hop checked it out by himself. Skewer wanted a closer look too, so he climbed down Rico’s shoulder to follow Hop. Rico watched from the railing as Hop and Skewer poked around the pier. 

Skewer had just bent down to pick something up when a fish resembling either a pike or a barracuda leapt out of the water. It sailed right over Skewer’s head and landed in the water on the other side. Skewer stood up and blinked, apparently unaware of what just happened. He saw Hop making his way back to the stairs and quickly followed. When Skewer reached the top step, he held out the item he found to Rico.

“Whatcha got there, buddy?” Rico asked, taking a blue ball from the Axew. “Is this a Netball?”

“It sure is.” Hop said. “And it’s great for catching water and bug-types. Nice find, Skewer.”

The Axew stuck his snout in the air, clearly proud of himself.

“Unfortunately, there was no Gym Leader down there.” Hop lamented. “Maybe she’s at the lighthouse?”

“It’s the only place we haven’t checked.” Rico said.

The three of them left the docks in favor of the giant red-and-white striped structure. In front of the lighthouse stood a pair of large, old statues that Rico stopped to look at.

“What’re these?”

Hop leaned in closer to read the plaque attached at the base. “It says that these statues are meant to commemorate the two brave Pokémon that defended the lighthouse.”

“What kind of Pokémon were they?”

“Toxtricity!”

Rico and Hop jumped at the voice, turning around to see a familiar Yamper and an even more familiar human beside him.

“Miss Sonia!” Rico said.

“Hey, you two. It took you a while to get here.” Sonia said. 

“We kind of got held up along the way.” Hop said with a pointed look at Rico. “What are you doing here?”

“Just meeting up with an old friend.” She said, stepping aside so they could see. A woman was standing at the fence overlooking the ocean. She had dark hair with streaks of blue. Rico thought she looked familiar.

“Is that Nessa?” Rico asked.

“You’re Rico, right?” Nessa asked, turning to face them. “One of the one’s endorsed by Leon?”

“That’s amazin’! How’d ya know?”

Nessa smiled. “Sonia told me all about you. You, too, Hop. You’ve become something of a hot topic amongst the Gym Leaders.”

“Is that a good thing?” Rico asked.

“Of course it’s good!” Hop said. “Even the Gym Leaders are recognizing our talent!”

“It comes as no surprise that Leon would endorse his little brother.” Nessa said. “But you, Rico, are a bit of an enigma. No one’s even heard of you before you received Leon’s endorsement. Where did you even come from?”

“Isle of Armor.” Rico said with practiced ease. “I was trainin’ at the Dojo before I blew into Postwick.”

“So you’ve met Mustard then.” Nessa concluded. “Is he still lively as ever?”

Rico nodded. 

"You have an Axew, eh? What happened to its tusk?" 

"Hop broke it."

That seemed to catch both Nessa and Sonia off guard. "What?"

"Hey!" Hop said, stepping in. "That's not exactly what happened! It broke off while we were battling!"

Sonia sighed while Nessa let out a snicker.

“Well, now that I’ve heard everything about you two, I suppose you should learn about me, too.” Nessa said, handing each of them a card.

“Your League card?” Hop asked. “Thanks!”

“I’m heading to the stadium. I may love fishing, but I love Pokémon battles even more and I'm itching for a battle with you two!”

Nessa looked back at Sonia, a fondness growing over her expression as she met her eyes.

_Oh?_

“And will you be coming too?” Nessa asked.

“You bet. I missed these two’s battle in Turffield, so I’d love the chance to really see what they can do.” Sonia said.

The two of them began to walk back to the stadium, side by side. Before Hop could follow, Rico poked him and showed him the card.

“Can ya read this, please?” he asked. “I’d try to myself, but…”

“It’s fine.” Hop assures, then looks down at Nessa’s card.

_“Nessa's father is a fisher, and her mother works in the marketplace. Perhaps because of her parents, she grew up playing with_ _water-type_ _Pokémon and eventually made it all the way to being a_ _Gym Leader_ _. She met_ _Sonia_ _during their_ _Gym Challenge_ _, and they continue to be close friends. Nessa often gives Sonia fresh seafood from_ _Hulbury_ _. She has declared that_ _Milo_ _of_ _Turffield_ _is her rival, but Milo responded by saying that his rival is himself.”_

“Nessa brings Sonia seafood?” Rico asked. “Like… often?”

“Of course that’s the part you’d get hung up on.” Hop said, rolling his eyes.

“Hey!” 

The sharp tone almost made the boys jump. They looked over to where Sonia and Nessa were, already halfway up the stairs leading back to the stadium. “Are you two coming or what?”

“Right behind you!” Hop shouted. “C’mon, Rico. Let’s go! Our next badge is waiting for us!”

Rico was left pondering what he read on the card. That, coupled with the way Nessa and Sonia looked at each other… did it mean what he thought it did?

As the four of them headed back to the stadium, the boys trailing behind, Nessa turned to Sonia and whispered, “I thought you said he was an alien. He looks human to me.”

“I never said he was an ‘alien.’” Sonia whispered back. “I said he wasn’t from this world. And trust me, he isn’t. I saw it with my own eyes. Wings, tail, horns, he’s got it all.”

“How can he be from the Isle then?”

“Well, he did train there.”

“And everyone is okay with this?” Nessa asked, incredulous. “No one thinks we should call the authorities? Or maybe alert the Chairman? Everyone’s fine with just letting this… non-Pokémon-not-human wander freely around Galar?”

“Leon insists he’s not dangerous.” Sonia reminded her. “And he said he wants to keep the Chairman out of this. He didn’t explain why.”

“Weird. Either way, I hope you don’t expect me to go easy on him just because he’s… foreign.”

Sonia giggled behind her hand. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking of Ash's battle with Crasher Wake when I wrote this.

The inside of Hulbury stadium was much like Turffield’s, but the carpet leading into the pitch was blue rather than green. Rico watched curiously as Sonia and Nessa talked a bit more before they separated with a light touch of their fingers. Nessa disappeared down the hall, likely to prepare for her upcoming matches. Sonia continued to stare after her for a beat or two before picking up Scamp and telling the boys she was headed for stands so she could watch the match. Rico had a feeling it wasn’t his own or Hop’s match she was going to be watching.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he bumped right into the Ball Guy again.

“Oh, hiya! Good to see ya again.”

Hop turned around and saw the costumed figure. “Hey, didn’t we see you at the Opening Ceremony?”

“Hey there!” The Ball Guy said. “Thanks for rolling by to have a chat with your mate – the Ball Guy!”

They started doing a weird little dance that made Rico chuckle.

“If you’re in Hulbury, I’m betting you have a fishing rod! If that’s the case, I’ve got the perfect Pokéball for you.”

The Ball Guy proceeded to hand Hop a teal and orange ball. “The Lure ball is great for catching Pokémon you reel in while fishing! It’s the absolute best ball for Pokémon that live in the water! Pokéballs are just full of surprises, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Thanks!” Hop said, pocketing the ball.

After they waved goodbye the boys made their way to the registration desk. Hop signed up first. As he was the first to do so since Nessa had come back, he got to start his mission immediately. Rico was kind of glad he was first. Maybe he could get an idea of what to expect from this Gym by watching him do it. He looked up at the monitor and felt his wings drop in horror.

Water. Water everywhere. It poured down from a network of multi-colored pipes attached to the ceiling, pooling underneath the grated platforms Hop was currently darting around. He’d run onto a platform, press a colored button, and the flow of water would cut off like a faucet. Huh. At least it looked like challengers weren’t required to run through the water. He tried to commit the path Hop took to memory, hoping he’d be able to cut down the time it would take to get through the puzzle himself. 

Rico got distracted by a few passing conversations from other challengers in the lobby. Someone was complaining about having to solve a puzzle just to reach the Gym Leader, believing that battle itself should be the challenge, while another was discussing which Pokémon they should pick that could withstand Nessa’s max moves. He realized that he hadn't even planned what Pokémon he was going to use for his match. Shorty was a given. He may still be a Pichu, but he was an electric-type. Tajin would be a bad choice here. That left him with either Nugget or Skewer. Dragon was resistant to water, but Skewer only had one tusk at the moment and it probably wouldn’t be the best time for him to battle. 

He got excited seeing Hop approach the pitch for his battle with Nessa. The pitch looked kind of shimmery. Was it wet? Well, this is a water-type gym. They had just thrown their Pokéballs when a staff member approached Rico.

“Number 141?”

Rico nodded.

“Good. We need you to step into the locker room and prepare for the next match.”

“But this match just barely started.” Rico said, pointing at the screen.

“Yes, but word has gotten out about Nessa’s return to the gym. Challengers are flocking in like crazy and if we hope to get through all of them before the gym closes for the day, we need to speed things along.”

A quick glance around the lobby confirmed it was much more crowded than before. Nessa must’ve been one popular Gym Leader, huh?

He entered the room and began to change, glancing every now and then to the monitor inside the room. Nessa was returning a Pokémon while Hop praised his Toxel. Looks like Jimi won one of the matches. 

In the meantime, Rico let out his four Pokémon and looked them over.

“Alright, guys. Nessa's a water-type user. So Tajin, you’re gonna have to sit this one out.”

Tajin glowered at Rico, clearly not happy he was being left out.

“Sorry, buddy. Fire don’t mix well with water, ya know?”

Tajin stuck his paws in his pockets and sulked. Rico gave him a sympathetic pat on the head. “Ya can get the next one.”

He turned to his remaining Pokémon. “Shorty, you’re goin’ first. Ya have the type advantage. So next is gonna be-”

“Axew!”

Rico looked at Skewer in surprise. “ _You_ wanna battle?”

“Axew! Ax!”

“But Skewer, you’re down to one tusk.”

“Yew!” The Axew stomped his foot, looking into Rico’s eyes defiantly.

Rico shook his head. “Stubborn as all hell.” Luckily for him, so was Rico. “Fine. You’re goin’ last.”

Skewer let out a cheer.

“Skewer looks pretty excited.”

Rico turned around to see Hop. Crap, he must have missed the end of the match!

“The staff rush you in here too?” Hop asked. “Apparently since Nessa’s come back, a whole bunch of challengers suddenly showed up.”

“Wait ‘til ya see the lobby.” Rico said. “Didja win?”

Hop beamed and withdrew his hand from his pocket, showing him his ring newly adorned with the Water Badge.

“Jimi, Snipes, and Scotch fought really hard to earn this. I’m definitely rewarding them. Good thing we’re going to the Captain’s Table after this.”

“Wait, three?” Rico asked. “We gotta use three Pokémon in this gym?”

“Yeah.”

“Guess that I’m gonna be usin’ Nugget too.”

“Not using Tajin?”

“If it was just one water-type, maybe. But not against three.”

“That means you’ll have to use Skewer.” Hop concluded. “You sure that’s a good idea? He only has one tusk at the moment.”

“Axew!” Skewer glared up at Hop.

“He really wants to battle.” Rico explained. “I think he felt left out when he didn’t get to fight in the first gym.”

Rico returned his team to their balls in preparation to head out.

“You gonna be okay out there?” Hop asked. “You’re not very fond of water.”

“I’ll be fine.” Rico assured. As long as he didn’t have to actually get into the water.

“Good luck then, mate.” Hop raised his hand. Rico high-fived him on his way to the pitch.

************

Rico wasn’t scared per say, but he was certainly wasn’t thrilled either as he descended the stairs into the challenge room. The forceful rush pouring down from the pipes was like a waterfall. That would be painful to stand under. A referee that Rico swore looked just like Dan from Turffield approached him.

“The Hulbury Gym’s mission is this!” he announced, sweeping his arms to the platforms before them. “A challenging maze! And you must reach the goal to clear the mission! As you can see, some paths are blocked by water! What should you do, then?”

Before Rico could give an answer, the referee answered his own question, pointing to a red, Pokéball shaped button on a platform to the right. “Try pressing that red button over there, and I imagine you'll figure it out. Let the Gym mission begin!”

Rico nodded, immediately heading for the platform. At least it looked like he wasn’t going to be forced to get in the water. Pressing the first button was easy enough. The red pipe cut off, and exposed a yellow button that had been blocked by the cascade. Rico pressed that next. It made a distant yellow pipe cut off, but still didn’t stop the one right up front. That pipe was blue, so looks like he was going to need to find a blue button. 

Rico groaned. This was going to take forever. He wished he could just spread his wings and fly around the water. He could literally be standing at the other side of the pitch right now. Damn humans and their handicaps! Would he be allowed to cheat if he could swim instead of fly?

A gym trainer he battled mentioned he had to think of the order he was pressing the buttons. He defeated her Krabby with Nugget and started looking up at the color of the pipes before he went to press a button. The thought that someone who was colorblind would have a lot of trouble on this mission crossed his mind for a brief second. He managed to make it to the left-most part of the gym, where the blue buttons were finally introduced. This last portion of the puzzle was confusing. He kept pressing the buttons in the wrong order. He began to get more and more frustrated, to the point where the next gym trainer that challenged him had their Chewtle and Remoraid absolutely obliterated by Skewer. It was clear his Pokémon were picking up on Rico’s own emotions. Blowing off some steam helped a little. He finally figured out the order (blue, red, yellow, blue) and was able to reach the stairs on the other side.

Whew. He was already wiped, and the actual battle hadn’t even started yet. This mission wasn’t nearly as fun as Milo’s. He gave a half-hearted wave when the voice announced he cleared the mission. Rico took his time as he walked down the hall. As he approached the pitch, he saw a large dip in the center. He realized there was a pool right in the center of the field.

_Oh no. Please tell me that’s just for the Pokémon._

He trudged to the edge of the pool. As he got closer, he noticed small platforms floating in the water, seeing Nessa waiting on the other side.

“Welcome, honored Gym Challenger!” she announced, smiling widely. Rico figured she was putting on a show for the crowd. “I think you already realize, but I’m Nessa. Sorry to have made you look for me.”

Rico couldn’t think of a response, so he just shrugged.

“I don't doubt my humble mission's difficulty... Yet you cleared it. Not bad for a newbie. Your mind as a Trainer must be quite refined.” Nessa continued.

“It was hard.” Rico said. “And wet.” _Too wet._

Nessa snickered, much to Rico’s irritation.

“No matter what kind of plan your refined mind may be plotting, my partner and I will be sure to sink it!” With that Nessa turned and sauntered to the other end of the pitch. Rico turned to do the same, looking up at the crowd of people in the stands, trying to pick out someone in particular. Ah, there was Sonia right there in the third row, Scamp sitting in her lap. She was watching Nessa closely, just like Rico suspected.

He turned to face the Gym Leader right as Nessa released a Goldeen from a blue Pokéball, which immediately dove into the pool.

_Oh good. The pool is for her fish._

Rico sent out Shorty. The Pichu landed on one of the platforms over the water. He looked nervous as he tried to balance on the platform.

_I feel ya, buddy._

Nessa wasted no time attacking. “Water Pulse!”

Goldeen leapt out of the water and shot a ball of water at the Pichu.

“Whoa! Shorty, dodge it!”

Shorty managed to jump to another platform right as the blast struck. The platform the Pichu was formerly on flipped over. It would have dumped the Pichu into the pool.

“Water Pulse again!”

This battle was going nowhere. Goldeen couldn’t be struck while it was underwater, and Shorty was forced to jump from platform to platform. He managed to not get hit, but if he had to keep jumping like this he would tire out in no time.

“Enough of this! Goldeen, Agility!”

Goldeen’s swimming speed drastically increased, making it even harder to keep track of.

“Water Pulse!”

Goldeen’s faster speed meant Shorty couldn’t dodge fast enough this time. The move blasted him off of the platform.

“Shorty!”

Though knocked into the air, the Pichu managed to right himself, barely, and land on the edge of another platform he quickly scrambled on top of. His fur was soaked, and he didn’t look too happy. If this kept up, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Rico had to change tactics.

He realized that every time Goldeen attacked it had to leap out of the water first. If he could time Shorty’ attack just right…

“Goldeen, Horn Attack!”

Goldeen leapt out of the water, horn pointed towards Shorty like a lance. Rico waited for a beat before calling out, “Fake Out!”

Shorty clapped his paws together just inches from Goldeen’s face, sending out a small blast of air that stopped Goldeen’s attack and knocked it back into the water. If Rico’s calculations were right, Goldeen wouldn’t be able to move while it flinched.

“Now use Volt Switch!”

Shorty threw a ball of electricity at the Goldeen, causing him to switch out for Skewer. 

“Let’s do it, buddy!”

“Switching in the middle of battle?” Nessa noted. “Interesting strategy. We’ll see if it pays off. Horn Attack!”

Goldeen leapt out of the water on Skewer’s left. There was no way it was coincidence it was aiming for Skewer’s tuskless side.

“Skewer, Poison Jab!”

Skewer whipped around and jabbed his claws into the Goldeen’s side, also knocking it away before it could ram him through with its horn.

“Water Pulse!” 

Goldeen leapt out of the water once more, loosing a blast of water. Rico knew his next move would be risky, and was counting on dragon-type’s resistance to water.

“Bite!”

Skewer dove straight through the ball of water, likely taking damage but not enough to deter him. He chomped his jaws around Goldeen’s tail and swung his head to throw the fish down. Though Goldeen hit the water, the lifeless way it floated on the surface proved it was in no shape to battle.

Rico pumped his fist into the air. “Good job, Skewer!”

Skewer stood proud on the platform and, oh, was he flexing? What a little show off! 

Nessa returned Goldeen after praising its effort. Rico decided to recall Skewer before Nessa sent out her next Pokémon, bringing Shorty back into play.

Nessa’s next Pokémon looked just like that pointy fish that nearly hit Skewer back on the pier. He quickly learned it was called Arrokuda. It looked quite tasty. 

_Focus, Rico! This is a Gym battle!_

Arrokuda was really fast, even without using agility. At Nessa’s command it leapt out of the water and bit down on one of Shorty’ ears before Rico could get a word in. Shorty squeaked in shock, shaking his head and trying to dislodge the fish, but it held on tight.

“Shorty, use Nuzzle!”

Shorty grabbed at the fish dangling from his ear, hugging it close to his body and rubbing his cheek pouches against it. The Arrokuda lit up with sparks, letting go of the Pichu as it fell back into the water. Even underwater Rico noticed sparks coming off of its form. Did Shorty paralyze it? Good! That means it’ll be slower.

Nessa didn’t seem deterred by this. “Aqua Jet!”

Despite the paralysis, Arrokuda was able to surround itself with water and shoot like a torpedo toward Shorty. Rico got Shorty to use Fake Out just in the nick of time to stop the attack. Nessa then had Arrokuda swim under the platform Shorty was standing on. At first, Rico though she was just keeping Arrokuda out of range so that Shorty couldn’t hit it while it flinched. But then she ordered Arrokuda to use Aqua Jet on the platform. Coming up from directly beneath, Shorty was shot up into the air, flailing.

“Get ready to use Fury Attack!”

“Shorty, Volt Switch!”

Shorty managed to aim a jolt of electricity straight down as he was falling, striking Arrokuda and switching himself out for Nugget. The bird immediately took to the air, avoiding the rush Pokémon’s Fury Attack.

Even while paralyzed, Arrokuda was fast. Sky Attack would be too risky to use here. Nugget would have to land and stand in place while the move charged. 

“Aqua Jet!”

“Peck!”

The two attacks collided in midair. They appeared to be evenly matched as they traded blow for blow. Just when Rico was becoming concerned for Nugget’s stamina, she began glowing with a white light. Was it really happening? Right now?

The light faded, and a proud Corvisquire let out a skree as she flapped her much larger wings. Rico looked on in amazement.

“Look at you, girl!” Rico exclaimed. “Ya look incredible!”

“It’s not often that we get a Pokémon that evolves in the middle of a Gym battle.” Nessa noted. “But that doesn’t guarantee a win! Aqua Jet!”

“Rock Smash!”

Arrokuda engulfed itself in water and shot toward Nugget. But Nugget was prepared, catching the fish in her talons before slamming it down on one of the platforms on the water. The fish didn’t even have the energy to flop back into the water. Nessa returned it upon seeing it unmoving, looking frustrated.

“Great job, Nugget!” Rico called out.

Two down and one to go! And none of his team fainted yet! This was gonna be a sweep!

“I may be down to one last Pokémon, but I’ve been saving the best for last!” Nessa announced, releasing her final teammate onto one of the platforms. It looked like a big blue snapping turtle.

Rico figured that he could easily win with Nugget at this point. She just evolved and was way stronger now. And that turtle was so bulky it was likely to be slow. “Sky Attack!”

Nugget landed and began to charge, but before she could execute the move Nessa called for the turtle to use Rock Tomb. White energy glowed around the turtle’s head before turning into multiple glowing rocks. They shot out at Nugget, burying her under the pile.

Rico knew that move was supereffective. “Nugget!” 

Nugget was trapped beneath the rocks, struggling but unable to free herself. It only took a Water Gun from the turtle to finish her off after that.

Rico couldn’t believe how fast that bulky turtle could attack. That’s what he gets for getting cocky. He severely underestimated his opponent. 

“It’s okay, girl.” Rico said as he returned Nugget to her ball. “You did great. Thanks.” 

Rico deliberated who to send out next. There was no way Shorty would stand a chance against that Busco Beast lookalike, but if he could last just long enough to paralyze him…

_Sorry Shorty…_

Rico released the Pichu once more. He squeaked in alarm at the sight of the big, scary turtle.

“Flood the stadium and make it our ocean!” Nessa cried. “Drednaw, time to Dynamax!” 

Nessa returned Drednaw, enlarged his Pokéball, then instantly threw the giant ball behind her. A much, much larger turtle filled half the stadium. The pool in the pitch looked like a puddle beneath him.

Nessa turned to Rico, a confident lilt to her voice.

“This is a little gift from us... I hope you can take it! Max Geyser!”

Rico called for Shorty to use Nuzzle. The tiny mouse just managed to land a hit before getting swamped by the massive gush of water from Drednaw’s mouth.

_Oh shi-!_

That blast hit more than Shorty. Rico literally held on to his hat as he was knocked of his feet. He sputtered, shaking himself as he stood back up. He was drenched. And it starting raining on top of it. Indoors. Great. 

Unsurprisingly, Shorty was down for the count. Rico apologized as he returned him. Rico pulled out Skewer’s ball once more, taking a deep breath.

He wasted no time Dynamaxing his partner, enlarging his ball and chucking it behind him.

“It’s all you, Skewer! Knock ‘em dead!”

Skewer let out his battle cry before staring down the Drednaw across the field from him. 

“Max Wyrmwind!”

Purple energy wings swirled viciously around Drednaw. The Pokemon still stood strong, however.

_It’s way stronger than I thought._

Nessa ordered Drednaw to use Max Darkness next. Dark colored tendrils emerged from Drednaw’s sides and wrapped themselves around Skewer, exploding on impact. 

“Shake it off, Skewer!” Rico shouted. “Max Wyrmwind again!”

Skewer’s attack landed as Nessa called for Drednaw to use another Max Darkness. Rico noticed Drednaw’s attack was weaker than his last. Skewer barely flinched this time around. 

Rico wasn’t sure how much longer the Dynamaxed state would last. He decided to switch it up. Skewer knew Bite, so he could use Max Darkness too, right?

“Max Darkness!”

Nessa called for Drednaw to counter with Max Rockfall, but the giant turtle didn’t move. Rico noticed the sparks that came off of his body. Drednaw literally couldn’t move. He was fully paralyzed!

The dark tendrils wrapped Drednaw and exploded, taking the bite Pokémon out with it. Upon shrinking down, Nessa returned her fallen partner. Skewer shrank back down shortly after, excitedly jumping in the air and cheering at his victory. 

Nessa grasped at her hair; cool façade broken by the way her face contorted in frustration. “How…? How can this be!? Your Axew only has one tusk! Yet we were completely washed away!”

Rico let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. That battle was hard. How is it that the Pokémon were doing the fighting yet he was the one that felt exhausted? He snapped out of it when he saw Skewer running at him, leaping into his arms. Rico caught him and raised him up into the air, laughing.

Nessa walked around the pool to reach Rico. She took a deep breath and seemed to calm down a little before addressing him.

“Now that I’ve battled you, I think I understand a little. If you continue seizing victories like this, that indomitable spirit of yours may even battle the Champion himself, one day.”

At this, she offered a small smile as she reached out a hand for a shake. Rico set Skewer on the floor so he could return the courtesy. Nessa then pulled out the Water Badge. Rico wasn’t sure from where.

“You and your team are indeed deserving of this Gym Badge.”

Rico took it eagerly, thanking Nessa profusely. He bent down to show off his shiny new badge to Skewer, who looked equally as happy.

“Hey.” Nessa started, making Rico straighten up. “You’ll be facing off against the Fire Gym Leader next. Kabu can get pretty intense. As you and your Pokémon are now, he'll definitely want to battle you.”

Rico nodded, thanked her once more, then speed walked his way off the pitch and down the hall, Skewer having to run to keep up. As soon as Rico was out of sight, he ripped off his shirt and shook like a dog, water flying everywhere. He even flapped his wings a couple of times to shake off the extra droplets. He was glad that was over. Skewer cried out indignantly, having gotten wet from Rico’s shaking.

Rico apologized as he started to make his way to the locker room. He paused when he heard voices. There were other challengers in there already. He folded his wings and quickly maneuvered his shirt back on, difficult and uncomfortable considering it was still drenched. He trudged through the room, half listening to other trainers’ banter as he went to grab his stuff. Most of them were just discussing how excited they were to face Nessa. One or two stopped Rico to talk to him about his win. Rico’s miserable drenched state was forgotten for the moment as he soaked up the praise. A few of them took interest in Skewer, but the Axew hid behind Rico’s legs before they could get too close to him. After he grabbed his bag, he made his way back out into the lobby, where Hop met up with him again. He took a minute to take in Rico’s appearance before laughing.

“You look like a half-drowned Meowth.”

“Bite my tail, Hop.” Rico grit out.

“’Bout as angry as one, too.”

Rico made a half-hearted swipe at Hop, who easily ducked out of the way.

“There was too many people in the locker room, so I couldn’t change.” Rico explained as they made for the exit. 

“Yeah, I saw you get soaked in that match.” Hop said. “I was worried if you’d be okay there for a minute.”

“Aw, shucks. Worried ‘bout little ol’ me?” Rico asked. Though his tone was teasing, inside he was genuinely touched.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Hop said, but his cheeks tinged pink. “I also saw Nugget evolve in the middle of your battle with Nessa’s Arrokuda. That was wicked, mate! Too bad Drednaw took her down so quickly.”

“I should probably get them to the Pokémon Center, now that ya mention it.” Rico said. They had just stepped outside when Rico suddenly yelped and jumped back. Skewer ran in front of his Trainer as if prepared to defend him.

Oleana was standing not five feet from the door, fixing them in place with her no-nonsense stare. She doesn’t offer up as much as a “hello” before stating, “Do not keep the Chairman waiting. Head to the seafood restaurant – the Captain’s Table. So you will not forget the Chairman’s face, I will provide the two of you copies of his League Cards.”

She held out the pair of cards, looking the boys expectantly. Rico only took one because he was afraid to find out what happened if he refused.

_I don’t like lookin’ at his face in real life! Why would I wanna look at it on a card?_

“Chairman Rose is the kind of man who gets downhearted if he doesn’t take care of the things he needs to right away…” Oleana went on. “Go to the seafood restaurant as soon as possible, so as to not keep the Chairman waiting.”

She looked Rico up and down before adding, “Try to make yourself look a little more… _presentable_ before you arrive.”

“We’ll be there right away.” Hop assures. 

Oleana turns and leaves immediately after Hop’s confirmation, not waiting for them to say anything else.

“Didja see the way she was lookin’ at me?” Rico huffed. “Like I was some dirty, low-down animal carcass dragged in from the rain. Geez, I’m wet, I’m not rabid! Hell, I can’t even get rabies! I’m a reptile!”

“Calm down, mate.” Hop said. “She’s right though. You can’t go in the restaurant looking like that.”

“S’not my fault...” Rico grumbled.

“Calm down.” Hop said more firmly. “Look, we have to make a stop at the Pokémon Center anyway, right? You can use one of their bathrooms to change.”

Rico shook himself once more before nodding. “Okay. The sooner I get out of these wet clothes the better.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else annoyed when in Sword/Shield the Chairman claims to want to know the player better and yet ignores them the whole time they're in the restaurant?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the 100 kudos everyone!

Rico admittedly felt much better once he was in somethin dry. He and Hop had dropped off their Pokéballs and Skewer off at the counter before Rico headed straight for the bathroom. Luckily, it was one of those single stall types, so he had the whole thing to himself as he changed clothes. He held his hat under the hand dryer until it was mostly dry, then turned it on again and let it blow over his wings simply because the warm air felt good. After warming up a bit, he pulled on his jacket, pulled all the Pewter Crunchies out of his bag, and stuffed his still slightly damp uniform at the bottom before piling the snacks back on top. Though they were packaged, he didn’t want to take the chance of them getting crushed.

As he was putting things away, a card slipped out of the pile. He picked it up and realized it was Rose’s card. Though he wanted nothing to do with the man, he was admittedly a little curious. Maybe it could help him get a read on him. He didn’t bother to dwell on the image and instead turned the card over to read.

_“Mr. Rose is in fact a talented Trainer, coming in second place for a past Champion Cup. As the chairman of the Pokémon League, and as the president of a large business conglomerate, he is truly a hero to the Galar region, working tirelessly to ensure its prosperity. His thoughts and words don't always match, and thus many say it's hard to tell what he's talking about. In fact, it is said that only his secretary can tell what his true intent is. (NOTE: The above text was submitted by his secretary.)”_

Just more singing his praises. Did everyone kiss this guy’s butt? That really didn’t help at all. 

He stuffed the card in back in his bag, not caring if it got wet or damaged, and exited the bathroom to collected his Pokémon from the front desk. Then he turned to Hop.

“Do I look okay?”

“You look drier, at least.”

“Good enough.”

They left the Pokémon Center and Rico looked around a bit. “Which way is the restaurant again?”

“It’s down the-”

“Wait.” Rico sniffed the air. “Smells like it’s down this way.”

He quickly headed down the road. At this point it was just about dinner time.

"You sure are eager, eh?" Hop joked.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love curry, but it’s been weeks since I had fish!”

There was still a crowd in front of the restaurant’s windows, but luckily the entry way was clear. Rico took a deep sniff as soon as he entered the Captain’s Table. Many humans found fishy smells unpleasant, but to Rico it was the most delicious scent he could hope to inhale. 

The interior of the restaurant was very blue, with a fancy tile floor. There were fancy paintings of ships and water-type Pokémon hanging on the walls. The front podium resembled a boat. A huge window in the back of the restaurant offered a stellar view of Hulbury Stadium.

“Isn’t it neat how the inside of the restaurant looks like the deck of a ship?” Hop asked.

“Boats kinda make me nauseous, but nothing’s actually rockin’ here, so yup.” Rico responded.

Hop talked to the hostess, who pointed them towards one of the tables in the back. Rico’s stomach turned as they approached to see the Chairman (still in his ridiculous getup), Oleana, and…

“Miss Sonia?”

Rico’s surprised comment made the three adults look up from whatever conversation they were having.

“Ah, Hop. And… Rico, was it?” The Chairman said. “Let us celebrate your recent victories!”

“You were invited too?” Sonia asked, surprised.

“You know each other?” The Chairman asked. Without actually waiting for a response, he continued, “That’s great! Come now, please be seated.”

Hop nudged Rico. “At least we’re not overdressed.” He whispered, taking in Sonia’s usual attire and the Chairman’s weird outfit.

That got a small smile out of Rico at least. Rico sat down in the seat closet to the window so he wouldn’t be directly across from the Chairman. Hop happily took the seat next to him, making Rico feel just the slightest bit of relief. Sonia was forced to sit by Rose. Rico felt bad for her, but he wasn't about to offer to trade seats.

Rico looked up at Oleana, who remained standing behind the Chairman with the same neutral expression on her face.

_She ain't gonna sit and eat? What is she, a robot?_

Ooh, he should _not_ be entertaining thoughts like that, he’s just going to scare himself. If he found out Oleana really _was_ a robot, Rico would waste no time throwing himself through this big glass window they were all seated next to.

“Hulbury is a seafood town.” Rose explained as if it weren’t obvious. “Naturally, if one is going to eat here, the obvious choice is the local cuisine! Everything on the menu is delicious.” 

“Hey, we brought our Pokémon with us.” Hop said. “You think we could get them a little something, too?”

“Order for yourselves and your teams whatever you’d like. My treat.”

Rico squinted at the menu text. It was written in fancy calligraphy that made it even harder to read than normal.

For the love of all things sacred, he just wanted some fish!

Rico nudged Hop to get his attention, giving him the most pathetic look he could muster as he asked for help reading the menu. Turns out Hop didn’t need much persuading; he was happy to help his friend.

Rico ended up picking the surf n’ turf. He'd seen on menus before and always thought it sounded delicious, the best of both worlds. He didn’t pay attention to the price since he wasn’t paying, but hoped it wasn’t too much. It was rare he got to eat like this, but he didn’t want the Chairman to hold it over his head. 

Their Pokémon were allowed out of their balls and led to a corner near their table where they could be fed.

Once their food was ordered, Rose turned his attention to Sonia.

“By the way, how is Professor Magnolia getting on?”

“She’s still doing well.” Sonia answered.

“I’m quite indebted to her, you know?” Rose said, turning to Rico and Hop. “She was the one who figured out how to unleash the power of Wishing Stars and use that power to Dynamax Pokémon.

“That’s amazing!” Hop said. 

Rose nodded. “We would never have been able to create Dynamax Bands without her.”

Sonia sighed. “Dynamaxing is quite the phenomenon, but Gran was saying that there’s so much we don't know about it. It's causing her some worry. She even made me take a Power Spot detector with me when I started travelling…”

“Oh, a Power Spot Detector!” Rose said with enough volume to make Rico jump. “That’s the device that allowed me to discover the Power Spots.”

“Power Spots?” Rico asked.

“They’re the locations that emit Galar particles and allow Pokémon to Dynamax!” Rose explained.

“Galar particles?”

“They’re also called Dynamax particles.” Sonia explained. “When Pokémon Dynamax, they absorb the particles out of the atmosphere, allowing them to grow and maintain their immense size for a period of time. They are a powerful source of energy-”

“Which my company is working on a way to harness.” Rose cut in. “If we could find a way to properly contain, store, and unleash Dynamax energy on a large scale, Galar could have a power source to ensure its prosperity for over a thousand years.”

He frowned. “I don’t like hearing that Professor Magnolia is so worried, though. If only there were something I could do...”

Rico felt something nudge him in the side and turned to see Hop, looking at him with concern in his eyes. “You okay, Rico?”

“Huh? I’m fine. Why?”

“You haven’t touched your plate.”

Rico looked down to see a thick cut of meat and fish steak, further topped with shellfish, all situated over a bed of cooked potatoes surrounded by steaming vegetables set on the plate in front of him. When did they bring the food out?

He looked back to the corner where their Pokémon were, noting they were happily munching away on food in bowls that to Rico looked like a mix of berries and kibble. Must have been tasty if even Tajin was diving into it.

He turned back to his own plate, looked up at Hop, and shrugged. “Guess I’m not that hungry.”

Hop stared at Rico in disbelief. “Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?”

Rico didn’t have it in him to retort, nervously glancing back to Rose. Though he couldn’t make out his expression from behind his thick sunglasses, he seemed to be pointedly ignoring him the whole time he’s been here. In a way, he was relieved, but also a bit annoyed and confused. Didn’t Rose say he wanted to “get to know him better?” 

Rose suddenly perked. “Ah! Sonia, it may be good for you to visit the vault in Hammerlocke. I believe the key to unlocking the secrets of the Dynamax phenomenon lies in the history preserved there.”

Sonia didn’t even get a chance to respond when Oleana suddenly declared, “Understood, Chairman. I will arrange a meeting with Ms. Sonia.”

He then turned to Hop. “How have you been fairing in the Gym Challenge so far, Hop?”

Hop beamed. “It’s been great! I just got my second badge today! If I keep going at this pace, I’ll be battling Lee in the Champion Cup in no time!”

Hop talked a little more about his future matches when Oleana leaned in close to the Chairman to say, “I believe it is time we get going, Chairman.”

“Hm? But I’ve hardly had the chance to speak with Rico here.” Rose said, finally looking in Rico’s direction. Rico wanted to duck under his seat. The Chairman let out a dramatic sigh.

“It’s regrettable, but I suppose it can’t be helped. If something needs to get done, there’s no time like the present, after all! In any case, I bid you all farewell!”

The Chairman flags down a waiter to pay the check, then stands up to leave, Oleana by his side. As soon as he’s gone, the tension leaves Rico’s shoulders. And judging by the reaction of Sonia in front of him, he guesses he’s not the only one.

“Does he think he’s doing me a favor?” Sonia groaned. “I mean, he’s right, but I already know that the vault would be a good place to look for info on the legends. It’s in my plans to go there. And I don’t need the Chairman or his Vice President’s permission to continue my research.”

Rico poked at his meat and frowned. “Food’s gone cold.”

“Have it packed up for later.” Hop suggested. “It won’t be as good as it is when it’s fresh, but at least you can warm it up once we get back to the … oh shit!”

“Language, Hop!” Rico snapped. “And what’s wrong?”

“Sorry, but I just realized we never booked an Inn for the night!” Hop whipped out his phone, scrolling through the screen fast. “I gotta see if there are any rooms left!” 

Hop returned his team and raced out of the restaurant before Rico could blink.

“Can never sit still, that one.” Sonia smiled, then turned to Rico. “Well, I guess I can at least congratulate you on winning the Water Badge. Defeating Nessa is no small feat,” Sonia says before muttering, “no matter what the Chairman says.”

She perked back up in an instant, however. “Regardless, it was great to drop in on Nessa.”

“Ya really like her, don’t ya?” Rico asked.

“She’s… a really good friend I guess you can say. I’ve known her since my own Gym Challenge years ago.” Sonia smiled fondly at the memory before turning to Rico.

“Well, until next time, Gym Challenger.” Sonia said, giving Rico a small wave before heading for the door.

“Wait! Miss Sonia!” Rico stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve before she could get too far. 

Sonia looked down at him in confusion. “Hmm?”

Rico froze, not really sure how he wanted to ask this. “I, uh… I wanted to ask ya for some… advice.”

“Advice?” Sonia asked. “For what? Is it something to do with the Gym Challenge or-”

“No it’s… more personal.” Rico fidgeted with his hands before deciding to bite the bullet and just get it out. “How do ya get someone ya like to notice you?”

It took Sonia nearly a minute to fully process Rico’s question. “Wha- Why are you asking me this?”

Rico shrugged. “Well, my cousin ain’t here, so I can’t ask her for advice. And girls are usually good at this sort of thing, right?”

Sonia didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.

“Well, who is it that you’re trying to-”

“That’s not important!” Rico blurted.

“It kind of is. If you want them to like you, you have to know what they like in return. You might want to try starting a conversation with them about topics they like. Or give a small compliment here and there to see how they react.”

“Or bring them their favorite food?”

“I suppose that’s another thing you can try if you like.”

“Just like you and Nessa, right?”

Sonia sputtered for a moment. “Wh-what? What makes you think that I’m with Nessa?”

“So you’re not?”

“No. I mean, I’m not _not_ with her but… how do you even know this?”

“I read her League Card. Nessa brings ya seafood every time ya meet. And the two of ya just look at each other so… fondly. A lot. That sounds like courtin’ behavior to me.” Rico explained. “And ya just said the two of ya have been real close since a long time ago, right?”

“You figured it out from that?”

Rico shrugged again, moving to gather up his team. “Pretty much. I figured askin’ someone who’s already in a relationship could help me out, since they're more likely to know what they're talkin' about.” He waved as he grabbed his takeout and made for the exit. “Thanks for the advice!”

Sonia was left to stand there in shock. The dragon was cleverer than she realized. Did he have them sussed out from the beginning? What else did he know? It’s not like their relationship was a highly classified secret, but they didn’t go around flaunting it either. Should she tell Nessa about this? And who was this individual that had caught Rico’s interest all of a sudden?

************

Hop was still standing off to the side of the restaurant when Rico approached. He was still looking for an open room, but wasn’t having much success.

“What’d ya find?” Rico asked, trying to look over Hop’s shoulder.

Hop groaned. “It looks like all the Inns are booked for the night.”

“So we gonna go campin’ again?”

“We can’t set up camp in the middle of town, Rico. We might have to head back to the route for the night… Wait! There’s still an open room at the Pokémon Center!”

“Then let’s go!” 

Hop found himself being dragged up the street to the Pokémon Center. They burst through the Pokémon Center’s front doors and approached the nurse, who informed them that there was, indeed, a spare room left. One room. With one bed. 

_Oh shi-_

Rico’s scold of “Language!” rang through his head.

Well, it was either this or sleep in a tent again, and Hop was kind of looking forward to sleeping indoors and out of the elements tonight. Worst case scenario he'd sleep on the floor.

He felt a rush of relief, however, when he found that their room for the night contained a bunk bed.

“Finally, I’m knackered.” Hop said.

“I call dibs on the top bunk!” Rico exclaimed, dropping his bag and immediately scrambling up the ladder.

Hop chuckled, moving to put his own bag next to the lower bed when Rico poked his head over the top bunk.

“What?” Hop asked.

“Ain’t ya gonna fight me for it?”

“Nope. If you want the top bunk you can have it. I’m fine either way.”

Rico seemed… disappointed? 

“Did you want to fight?” Hop asked.

Rico started to climb back down as he explained. “The top bunk is the best bunk. Scourge and I used to fight for it…”

Considering this Scourge wasn’t a trainer, according to Rico, Hop could only conclude Rico meant he literally fought with his brother. Honestly, that sounded kind of violent. But he also remembered back on the bridge how Rico mentioned he fought with his brother all the time with such joy in his voice. It was just something dragons did, apparently.

“So… how did it work?” Hop asked. “You fighting with Scourge?”

Rico blinked before a menacing grin spread on his face.

“Like this!”

Rico let out a playful snarl as he tackled Hop to the floor.

“Oof! Rico!”

“C’mon, Hop! You ain’t even tryin’!” Rico laughed. “You’re a lot easier to pin than my brother. He’s heavy!”

Hop struggled for a minute before going limp. As expected, Rico loosened his grip. “Givin’ up already?”

It was Hop’s turn to grin. “Never!”

He rolled, flipping Rico off of him and quickly bracing against the dragon’s back, even pinning one of his arms.

“Ow! Hey, no fair! That was a sneak attack!”

“As a Trainer, you gotta be prepared for anything.” Hop bragged. “Even a sneak attack from your best friend. Who you also attacked without warning!”

“You’re the one who asked!”

“I wasn’t asking for a demonstration!”

“Well, ya got one!” Rico squirmed, but Hop kept up the uncomfortable pressure on his wings from how he practically lying across him. That, coupled with Rico’s arm being pinned, effectively rendered him helpless.

Or so he thought. He felt something wrap around his leg and was dragged off the dragon with a yelp of surprise. Looking down, he realized Rico had used his tail to grab him.

Rico let go of Hop and pushed himself up into a sitting position. “I’m startin’ to think Scourge has been goin’ easy on me all this time.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because there’s no way I should have this much trouble pinnin’ down a scrawny human.”

“Who’re you calling scrawny?” Hop said with mock offense, shoving the dragon back down.

Rico huffed as he picked himself up once more.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” He muttered.

Hop felt his face heat up. Rico didn’t seem to notice as he got to his feet, moving over to his bag and pulling out the food he had wrapped up.

“There’s a microwave down the hall.” Hop said.

“I could heat it up myself…”

“Do NOT breathe fire in this room!”

“I don’t gotta breathe fire to heat it.” Rico said. He sat down with the food cupped in his hands, seeming to concentrate hard on something. Hop noticed the temperature of the room went up a little.

When Rico opened the container at last, Hop could see faint steam emanating from within.

“How did you-”

“Heat energy. Same way I dried my clothes.” Rico explained, picking up the plastic fork in the container and helping himself to a bite. It must have been good, because he started shoveling food in his mouth, looking like he didn’t even stop to chew. He suddenly glanced up, gulping down his food and looking plenty embarrassed.

“S-sorry.” Rico said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Forgot you were there.”

Must be the dragon in him coming out, Hop figured. It’s not like he was unaware of his friend’s massive appetite.

_Then why didn’t he eat at the restaurant?_

“It’s fine. I think I’m gonna replay the matches from today, then go to bed.” 

Hop rummaged through his pockets for his phone before flopping back on the bed.

“They replay the matches?” Rico asked.

“Yep. The League broadcasts them live for the entire Galar region to watch. I personally think it’s a good way to develop new strategies, seeing what you did wrong or right during the battle. And it could help when you fight against similar opponents in the future.”

Rico didn’t respond. When Hop looked up, he saw the dragon had returned to stuffing his face. He rolled his eyes and went back to watching the feed on his phone. It wasn’t long, however, that he found it harder and harder to keep his eyes open between blinks. At one point, he thought he heard Rico call out good night, then the clacking of him climbing up the ladder, but sleep claimed the rest of his thoughts for the night.

************

Leon was in a fairly good mood as he arrived at his Wyndon flat that evening. His last meeting for the day got canceled due to the sponsor calling in sick, so he decided to spend his last hour getting in a quick training session with his Pokémon before calling it a night. It was rare he actually got home on time like this.

With everyone fed dinner and settled in for the night, Leon took the opportunity to watch the Gym Challenge coverage on television and was delighted to see a partial replay of Hop’s battle with Nessa. He already earned his second badge. Leon was so proud of his little brother. Next time he saw Hop he had to congratulate him. Afterward, Leon had started getting ready to retire for the night when his phone began to buzz. Believing it was Raihan, he immediately picked it up and answered with a cheery, “Hello?”

“Leon.” The icy tone made him shudder. “Care to explain why I just witnessed one of my assets out of containment?”

Leon gulped. “I-I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re talking about-”

“Don’t lie to me, boy.” 

“…Sorry sir.”

“And this isn’t the first time you lied to me, is it? I distinctly remember you telling me that the asset had perished in the fire. So you can imagine my surprise when I arrive in Hulbury only to see my asset alive and well, complete with a Pokémon and the _Champion’s endorsement._ ”

“I…”

“And I chose to believe you despite a number of my staff claiming to have seen the asset in your possession shortly after the incident.”

“They had to be mistaken. They probably saw me rescuing one of the Pokémon. There was a lot of confusion after the explosion.”

“Should I assume you were lying about the cause of the explosion as well?”

“No!” Leon exclaimed. “It was an electrical fire! It must have been the faulty wiring in the lobby!”

“Be that as it may, the creature is currently wandering through Galar freely. At your brother’s side, may I add.”

“I swear Hop has nothing to do with this. He doesn’t know what’s going on. I personally chose to endorse R-, the asset.”

“Whatever reasons you have for endorsing this creature are none of my concern.” The voice continued. “I assume the asset remembers neither of us, considering he was comfortable enough to accept an endorsement from you and he did not react vehemently to my presence.”

“Hold on, how can you be sure it was one of the escaped ones in the first place?”

“Truthfully, he had me completely fooled in the beginning. His illusion of humanity is comparable to that of a Zorua. Quite impressive, really. However, he does have a few tells that give him away. The unnatural glow of his eyes for one. Some of his mannerisms are also decidedly inhuman. Not to mention my assistant’s device was reading off the charts in his presence. You may have a point suggesting we keep them alive for further studies.”

“But sir-”

“I shouldn’t tolerate this insolence. However, I will allow you a chance to redeem yourself.”

“Huh?”

“I expect my asset to be recaptured and returned to me by the next time we meet. Considering he doesn’t remember you, it should be easy enough to gain his trust.”

Leon knew there was no point in arguing. “Yes sir.”

“Remember Leon, I gave you everything. And I can take it away just as easily.”

Leon was shaken after he hung up. Charizard looked up from where he was dozing on the rug behind the couch, fixing Leon with a worried stare. Leon pat the winged lizard’s neck. 

“It’s fine, bud.”

The expression on Charizard’s face showed he knew something was certainly _not_ fine, but didn’t press the matter. He let out a long exhale and went back to sleep. 

Leon let out a sigh himself as he began to pace the living room, debating what his next move should be. One thing he knew for sure, there was no way he was handing over Rico. He was a living creature, dammit! Not just a tool to use however!

 _He did_ _attack Raihan._

_But he also saved Hop’s life._

Well, if Hop had already won his badge in Hulbury, Rico was likely to have as well. That means they would be on their way to Motostoke. Unless they decided to train in the Wild Area first. Kabu’s Gym was pretty tough. Trainers were known to give up the Gym Challenge altogether due to being unable to defeat him.

Leon perked up. If Rico couldn’t surpass Kabu, that might actually work to his advantage. Of course, he couldn’t just call Kabu and tell him to be harder on Rico than any other challenger. It wouldn’t be very sportsman-like, and worse, Kabu might start asking why.

There had to be something he could do in the meantime. Maybe he could stall for time? The longer he could delay the meeting the better. Leon went into his room and pulled out his phone. He had to call in a favor.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good news, bad news, and Galar Mine No. 2

Rico stretched as he awoke, absentmindedly dragging his tongue across his arm and scrubbing his face with it.

“Mornin’, Scourge…” he mumbled.

He didn’t hear anything in response. That’s weird. Scourge was never a morning dragon, but he’d always at least grunt in acknowledgement. Also, this blanket was thinner than he remembered, and this didn’t look like their room…

_Oh, right._

The blanket was different because it wasn’t the fire-retardant one he had at home. Also, he wasn’t at home. And Scourge wasn’t here.

Rico let out a small whimper. He missed his family.

A small noise below caught his attention. He hung over the edge to see Hop still sleeping in the lower bunk. With his phone over his face. Rico snickered. He must have fallen asleep while scrolling through those battles last night. Rico climbed down the ladder, carefully plucking Hop’s phone from his face and placing it on the end table in the corner of the room, asking Dex if they could help charge it. It was likely the battery was dead and Hop’s Rotom was exhausted. In the meantime, he threw on his hat and decided to go through both his and Hop’s bags. Surely Hop wouldn’t mind if he let their fleet out for a bit?

It was still pretty early when he went outside, so there was no one else up yet. He let them all out outside, happy to let them play and stretch their legs and wings outside of their Pokéballs for a while. It was no good to be cooped up all the time. 

He was happy to see Skewer’s tusk already growing back in. Axew tusk sure grew fast. At one point Rico did have to break up a squabble between the two Corvisquire, getting between them and letting out a growl to let them know that behavior wasn’t appropriate.

After a while he began to feel the gnawing emptiness of hunger, and could only imagine the Pokémon were feeling the same. He called out for their fleet to come back inside. If Hop wasn’t up yet, he’d wake him. It turns out it was unnecessary, as Hop was already up and packing by the time he came back in. Hop turned to him in alarm, but calmed down once he saw it was Rico with their respective teams.

“Oh, there you are.” Hop said. “Look at you, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning.”

Rico cocked his head, exposing his tail so he could curl it around to take a good long look at it.

“My tail’s not bushy. S’more scaly then anything.”

Hop laughed as if Rico told a joke.

“And you nicked all the Pokémon.”

“I just let ‘em out for a bit.” Rico explained. “I’m sure they were tired of bein’ in their Pokéballs all night. I kept an eye on ‘em the whole time.”

“Well, thanks.” Hop said. “We better pack up. It’s back to Motostoke for us!”

“What about breakfast?” Rico asked. “Can we go back to the Captain’s Table?”

“No way! That place is way too expensive. The only reason we could afford it last night is because the Chairman paid.”

Rico’s tail drooped. It’s not like Hop was wrong. Rico certainly didn’t have the money after buying all those snacks still hidden in his bag.

Hop must have noticed his disappointment, because then he said, “If you want, we could check out the markets again and pick something up there.”

Rico’s tail perked up at that. He helped Hop pack their rest of their stuff and went to return their Pokémon for the time being when Hop suddenly stood up from digging in his bag. 

“Oh, Rico! I just remembered something!”

Hop made his way over to Rico with something in his hand.

“I meant to give this to you yesterday, but with all the excitement that happened I guess it slipped my mind.”

He held out a blue and red ball to Rico.

“Wow! A Great ball! Thanks!” Rico said, taking the ball. “I only got Pokéballs, so this’ll be useful!”

“Wha- No! It’s not the Great ball. It’s what’s _inside_ the Great ball. Open it.”

Rico looked at him curiously before tossing the ball. In a flash of blue light, a small, red Pokémon was peeking up at him with its green eyes.

“An Applin?” 

Rico then noticed the bite missing from the corner of the apple. 

“It’s the Applin from before!”

Rico immediately scooped her up, rubbing his cheek against her and purring. The Applin trilled back in response.

“How’d ya find her?”

“Remember back on Route 5? When I left the Nursery with Jimi? I saw Applin poking around in some nearby bushes and chased her down. Jimi actually helped me catch her.” Hop explained.

“Dude, I love you!” Rico said, dragging Hop into a one-armed hug and subjecting him to an onslaught of nuzzling as well. 

“I-I... um… I…” Hop stammered. “I just remembered how upset you were when you couldn’t catch her before… so when I saw her hanging out near the Nursery I knew I had to do something.”

Rico couldn’t stop purring. He was just so happy!

“Thank you so much! I swear I’m gonna pay ya back for this!”

“You don’t have to…”

“I _want_ to.”

Hop began fidgeting, so Rico took that as a cue to let him go. Hop stumbled back, face glowing red.

“…So what are you going to name her?” Hop finally asked.

Rico carefully looked over the Applin in his hands before saying, “Pippin.”

“Pippin?”

“Yup. It’s a pie-makin’ apple. Really tasty.”

Rico continued to coo over Pippin until Hop reminded him they had to leave. Rico whimpered, giving his best Yamper impression, but Hop stood firm this time.

“Didn’t you say you were hungry?” he reminded him.

Rico sighed. Hop was right, he was hungry. And they did have to leave. But couldn’t he celebrate his newest fleet member just a little longer? This was great. Now he had two dragon-types!

Hop tossed Rico his jacket and he quickly slipped it on. As they left the Pokémon Center, Rico suggested that they also get breakfast for their Pokémon at the market too. It didn’t take long to reach the market, though a small crowd had already formed. Rico staked claim to an unoccupied picnic table so he, Hop, and all their Pokémon had a place to eat. Allowing their Pokémon to ‘guard’ their chosen spot, Rico and Hop searched for a few market stalls selling something edible. 

Breakfast wasn’t conventional by any means, consisting of some fruit, a bag of popcorn, two cans of lemonade, and a couple of Lava cookies. Not that Rico was complaining. Food is food, after all. The Pokémon were all happily munching on more kibble-shaped food they had bought. Rico thought it was weird they were eating food that looked like something you’d give a dog, but after picking a piece out of Pippin’s bowl and giving it a good sniff, he concluded it smelled rather good. Not like pet food in his world. Didn’t taste half bad either. He looked up when Hop came back from one of the shops looking rather disappointed.

“What’s wrong, Hop?”

“I went back to that shop that was selling the Pewter Crunchies, but they were sold out! Said a customer went and bought the whole stock yesterday.” 

Rico immediately sat up. This was his chance!

“Ya know what? I got a few bags of the stuff myself. Ya want one?”

Before Hop could even answer, Rico had whipped out a bag and thrust it into Hop’s hands.

Hop seemed a little taken off guard, but perked up when he registered what was in his hands. “Hey, thanks a lot!”

“No problem.” _Thinkofacompliment! Thinkofacompliment!_ “Uh…ya know… your hair… looks really shiny today.”

Hop looked a little bewildered as he opened his package. “…Thanks?”

Rico grinned. _Whew. Nailed it! Barely._

It’s funny how effortless it was for Rico to compliment Hop on his knowledge or battling, but now that he’s actively trying to court him he feels tongue-tied.

While they were eating, Rico kept glancing over at Pippin and reaching down to pet her. He couldn’t help it. She was his second dragon-type and she was given to him by his best friend! After a while Pippin got tired of being interrupted while she was trying to eat, proceeding to smack Rico’s hand back with her tail. Rico was amused. It was good to see she was feisty. As a dragon should be. Hop started scrolling through his phone after he finished eating.

“Alright, Rico. I have some good news and some bad news.”

“What’s the good news?”

“It would actually make more sense to go over the bad news first.”

“Why didn’t ya just lead with that? What’s the bad news then?” 

“You know we have to go back to Motostoke to face the Fire Gym Leader Kabu, right?”

Rico nodded. “Yeah! We got both the Grass and Water Badges already!”

“Well, Kabu’s not at the Gym right now, so we can’t take him on in Motostoke even if we zipped right over there in a Flying Taxi.”

“Oh come on!” Rico groaned. “Another missin’ Gym Leader?”

“That’s where the good news comes in.” Hop explained. “I got a tip that Kabu’s currently holed up in Galar Mine No. 2, undergoing some special training! So I say we head straight there ourselves and see what the fuss is all about!”

“I’m down for that.” Rico said. “Ya think we’ll find more ore while we’re there?”

“You literally just ate. How can you already be thinking of eating more?”

“Hey, I got two stomachs to fill!”

“What?”

Rico didn’t answer, getting up to put his bag back on and calling over their Pokémon.

“So which way to the mine?”

Hop led the fleet to the entrance of the mine, which was where the Team Yell members were chanting the day before. They had moved on since then, allowing the group access. Before they entered, Hop returned his Pokémon to their balls to make it easier to travel. Rico went to do the same, but when it came to Shorty, he refused.

“What’re ya doin’, Shorty?” Rico asked, trying once more to return him. The Pichu once again dodged the beam of light that would have recalled him.

“Everything ok there, mate?” Hop asked.

“He’s not usually this stubborn.” Rico said, finally giving up. “Fine. Ya win. You don’t gotta go in the ball. But stay close and don’t wander off. Ya hear me?”

“Chu.” Shorty bobbed his head up and down. Rico picked up the Pichu and situated him over his hat, right between his horns. If Shorty wanted down he’d let him, but for now he wanted the pipsqueak somewhere he couldn’t lose him. Who knows how twisty this mine would be?

Hop looked over at the Pokémon perched on Rico’s head and smiled. “That’s kind of cute.”

Rico perked as he turned to Hop. “Ya think I’m cute?”

“What!?” Hop’s face went red. “No! I was talking about Shorty!”

Well that hurt. More than he expected it would.

“I-I mean, I guess dragons can be cute too, if they want!” Hop continued, seeing how Rico’s face fell.

As soon as they stepped into the mine, Rico took a sniff of the air. “Smells wet. This place ain’t underwater is it?”

“I think there are some springs scattered throughout here, but we don’t have to tread through them if that’s what you’re worried about.” Hop said.

This mine was a little darker, but there were still a few lanterns hung across the walls. They made the colorful ores sticking out of the rocks sparkle in an enchanting light. This mine also had less gear scattered around the grounds, making it easier to traverse. 

“How deep is this mine?” Rico asked after a while.

“Not sure.” Hop said. “I just know it lets out near Motostoke.”

“Least we don’t gotta go all the way back to Turffield then.”

Suddenly, Shorty leapt off of Rico’s head.

“Huh-”

Rico turned around to see the Pichu squaring off with a bipedal frog twice his size.

“Shorty, no! That’s a Croagunk!” 

“Watch out!” Hop yelled. “It’s poisonous!”

Shorty tried to Nuzzle the Croagunk, but it knocked him away with what looked like a Sucker Punch. Before Shorty could get back up, Croagunk shot purple darts at him.

“Shorty!” Rico cried.

Shorty staggered to his feet. Rico swore he saw something that looked like purple bubbles float over his head for a second, and he was taking on a purplish tint. The Croagunk leapt up with its arm drawn back, ready to deliver a finishing blow. Rico dashed forward, wrapping Shorty in his arms while turning his back on the Croagunk. He lashed out his tail and whacked the Croagunk clear across the mine and into one of the springs. With the immediate threat out of the way, Rico turned his attention to the poisoned Pichu in his clutches.

“Oh no! Shorty!”

Rico felt something tap his shoulder and looked up to see Hop holding out a berry to him.

“Give him this. It’s a Pecha Berry.”

“Thank you.” Rico took the berry and held it up to Shorty until the mouse took a bite. It seemed to give him a little bit of energy, because he started munching readily on it. Rico watched with relief as the purple tint faded back to a healthy yellow.

But with that relief came a certain amount of anger.

“Are ya insane!? The hell were ya tryin’ to do!?”

“I think he was trying to battle.” Hop offered.

“I could see that!” Rico snapped. “But why the hell would he go and pick a fight with a Croagunk?” 

It was unlike the timid Pichu he had come to know. Rico was aware he was still weak, he was just a hatchling after all, which is why he utilized Volt Switch so much. It kept Shorty safe while gaining him experience.

“This is why I switch him out. I know he can’t handle battlin’.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.” Hop said. “Maybe he’s tired of being switched out.”

Rico looked up at Hop with confusion in his eyes.

“Well, think of it this way. You always switch Shorty out early in battle. It means he never really got to experience a full battle. And the one time you did keep him out, he was immediately wiped out by Nessa’s Drednaw.”

Rico’s tail drooped. “So it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Shorty.” Rico hugged the Pichu before setting him down. 

“You were just trying to play it safe. Most baby Pokémon do have a tough time in battles.” Hop said.

Rico nodded at Hop before turning to Shorty. “So you wanna get stronger with actual experience, huh, Shorty?”

“Pi-CHU!” Shorty clenched his tiny paws while letting out sparks.

“Alright, buddy. Let’s try it your way. But while we’re at it, let’s find something a little easier for you to beat.”

It actually didn’t take long to find an opponent they thought Shorty could handle. A Shellos crossed their path soon after, which Hop pointed out was a water-type. Rico let Shorty fight it, starting off with Nuzzle to slow it down. It turned out to be a formidable opponent, with a powerful Ancient Power that almost made Rico switch him out before Hop reminded him he had to let Shorty do this on his own. Since Shorty’s only other electric type move was Volt Switch, Shorty had to repeatedly Nuzzle the Shellos until it finally went down.

“You did it! Good job, Shorty!” Rico praised. Shorty let out a shower of sparks as he celebrated.

“Let’s go find something else to pick on!” Rico said as he and Shorty ran further down the tunnel.

“Hey, wait up!” Hop called as he ran after them. “Do you even know where you’re going?”

Hop turned past a corner of rock jutting out to see Rico standing stock still, attention on something ahead of him.

“Rico?” Hop asked.

As he approached, he finally saw what, or rather who, had commanded Rico’s attention. Hop was sure that if the dragon’s tail had still been out, it would’ve been lashing.

“You again?” Two voices said at the same time. Rico began to growl as Bede stepped closer, unintimidated. “And I see you dragged along another one. Couldn’t get through the mine on your own, huh?”

“The hell are you doin’ here, puffball?” Rico growled.

“Simple. I’m in the process of gathering Wishing stars and strengthening my team. Not like you would understand.”

“You’re Bede, right?” Hop asked. “Rico mentioned you before. Said he kicked your butt in the mine back on Route 3.”

“It was pure luck, nothing more.” Bede scoffed. “And who are you supposed to be?”

Hop puffed out his chest a little. “The name’s Hop. I’m Leon’s little brother and the next Champion of the Galar region!”

“So you’re the other trainer the Champion endorsed. I guess nepotism is alive and well in Galar.” Bede rolled his eyes. “Seems like the Champion has extremely poor taste in Trainers, though. I'd feel sorry for my Pokémon if I made them take part in a battle against such low-level opponents.”

Rico lunged. Hop threw an arm across him at the last second.

“Rico, no. He’s not worth it.”

“Aw, what’s wrong? Can’t stand up for yourself? Need your little friend here to tell you what to do?” Bede smirked. “Then again, I suppose it's a form of mercy to crush weak opponents early on. If you're under the misguided impression that you're stronger than me, then surely you would be up for a Pokémon battle.” 

“I kicked your ass before and I can do it again!” Rico said. He squirmed in Hop’s grip until the latter let him go.

"It's utterly inconceivable that I, the challenger chosen by the chairman, would lose!" Bede bragged, spinning his Great ball on his finger before making a show of tossing it in the air and catching it. Rico might have been impressed had he not been so irritated.

“Rico, wait.” Hop said. The sternness in his voice gave Rico pause. “Don’t get carried away, alright? You could get in a lot of trouble for attacking a person.”

“S’not like I’m gonna kill him.” Rico said. _Yet._

Bede sent out Solosis. Shorty stepped forward, but Rico held an arm out.

“Hold on, Shorty. I wanna try something else.” Rico reached for his own Great Ball, sending out Pippin.

“An Applin?” Bede scoffed. “You do realize that’s one of the weakest dragon-types?”

“Eat my tail!” Rico snarled. Pippin looked equally offended by the remark.

Bede ran a hand through his hair. “It's not every day I get to battle you, so I suppose I may as well try out this move. Solosis, Psyshock!”

“Sucker Punch!”

Before Solosis could even move, Pippin sped forward and slammed into Solosis.

“Great choice, Rico!” Hop cheered.

“Shake it off, Solosis! Psybeam!”

“Withdraw!”

Pippin pulled her eyestalks into her apple as the move hit. She rolled and popped back out, chattering angrily.

“Now use Astonish!”

Pippin quickly rolled forward and let out a startling screech, causing Solosis to flinch back.

“Psyshock!”

Solosis didn’t move, apparently still cringing from Pippin’s attack.

“Sucker Punch one more time, Pippin!”

Pippin slammed into Solosis once more, knocking it out of the air.

“How’s that for weak?” Hop taunted from the sidelines.

Bede grit his teeth as he retuned Solosis and immediately sent out Gothita.

“Pippin, that’s enough.” Rico said, returning the apple. “You did a great job, girl.”

Rico looked down at Shorty. “You’re up, buddy.”

The Pichu ran out from behind Rico, sparking as he faced down the fixation Pokémon.

“Fake Out!”

Shorty clapped his paws in front of Gothita, causing the black and pink Pokémon to flinch back.

“You can’t count on winning just by flinching.” Bede said.

“Tell me how to battle when ya actually win one, okay?” Rico said. “Nuzzle!”

With Gothita paralyzed and cringing, it was easy to finish her off with a couple more Nuzzles. Shorty looked extremely proud of himself for taking down another opponent with no assistance. Rico was happy to see his timid mouse had gained so much confidence. Maybe he had been a tad overprotective of him.

The distraction cost him his next move, as Bede’s Hatenna let loose a powerful Psybeam.

“Hey, that was a cheap shot!” Hop said angrily. “He wasn’t ready!”

“Then he should learn to pay attention to the battle.” Bede said with a smirk. “Any distraction is his own fault.”

Rico snapped back to the present, seeing Shorty reeling from the attack.

“Quick! Nuzzle!”

Shorty got back up, but his steps were shaky.

_Oh no. He’s confused!_

Shorty ran right past Hatenna and crashed head-first into a stalagmite.

“Finish it off with Dazzling Gleam.”

“Shorty!”

There was no way for the dazed Pichu to get out of the way in time. Rico grit his teeth as he returned him to his ball. “Not your fault, buddy.”

“If you get distracted that easily in battle, why do you think you have a chance in the Gym Challenge?” Bede snarked.

Rico growled, but it was Hop who spoke up.

“I’ll have you know we both already have 2 badges!”

“I’m sorry, but do you always need to speak up for him? Is he incapable of defending himself?”

“My brother says actions speak louder than words.” Rico said.

“Is he some supposedly spectacular trainer as well?”

“None of your business!” 

Rico reached for another Pokéball when he heard Hop’s warning.

“Heads up, Rico. Dazzling Gleam is a fairy-type move.”

Rico paused right before grabbing his next ball. He knew now that fairy existed, and that it had a major advantage over dragon. But this is what he had been preparing for, isn’t it?

Before he could second guess himself, Rico clutched Skewer’s Pokéball.

“Knock ‘em dead, Skewer!”

Upon being let out, Skewer’s attention immediately focused on the Hatenna in front of him. He nervously glanced back at Rico as if to say, _are you sure?_

Rico nodded. “Ya got this buddy, don’t worry!”

“Looks like you haven’t learned anything from our first battle.” Bede taunted. “Dazzling Gleam!”

Hatenna surrounded herself with a rainbow-colored light and rushed towards Skewer.

“Stop it with Poison Jab!”

Skewer’s claws glowed purple and he punched Hatenna, stopping her in her tracks.

“Now Bite!”

With Hatenna’s Dazzling Gleam interrupted, Skewer was able to reach in and chomp down on the pink Pokémon.

“What!? Hatenna, Disarming Voice!”

“Don’t let go and use Poison Jab!”

Skewer quickly started jabbing Hatenna with both claws while still biting down until the smaller Pokémon went limp.

“What!?” Bede stared on incredulously. “How could a dragon-type possibly stand a chance against fairy-type moves like that?”

“Looks like you’re the one who hasn’t learned anythin'!” Rico said, smirking. Skewer stuck his nose in the air as if to show off his superiority.

Bede glared at Rico as he returned Hatenna, sending out a colorful horse-like Pokémon Rico had never seen before.

“A unicorn?”

“What the hell is that?” Bede snapped. “Don’t you know a Ponyta when you see one?”

Rico cocked his head. “Never seen one that looked like cotton candy.”

“Shut up! Ponyta, Stomp!”

The little horse reared up on its hind legs and attempted to stomp on Skewer, but quick instruction from Rico got him to dodge. Rico then ordered him to go in for a Scratch, but was surprised when Skewer’s claws glowed blue as he slashed his opponent.

“That was Dragon Claw!” Hop exclaimed.

“Awesome!” Rico grinned, eyes shining. “Use Dragon Claw again!”

“Ponyta! Fairy Wind!”

Skewer barely managed to dodge, his tail taking the brunt of the sparkling wind blown his way before he got close enough to strike Ponyta with another Dragon Claw.

Rico jumped and pumped his fist into the air. “Ya did it, Skewer! Ya did it!”

“Axew!” Skewer whipped around and ran towards Rico, jumping at his chest. Rico caught him and held him up in the air, laughing.

Bede said something out of earshot to Ponyta before he returned it, then stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"You showed at least a little effort, so I decided I should let you win."

“Are you serious?” Hop asked. “I hope you’re joking because it would be incredibly disrespectful to both your Pokémon and your opponent to purposefully throw a match like that. Is it that hard for you to accept a loss?”

Bede glared at him, then faced Rico, who had stopped cheering and was staring at Bede with his Axew in his arms.

“Ah, pardon me. It seems I must take back my words.” Bede said sarcastically. “You're not weak – you just lack talent. Your chances of completing the Gym Challenge are pretty slim, I must say.”

It was Rico’s turn to glare at Bede. “How the hell is that better?”

Bede _harrumphed_ and turned away. “Anyway, I have places to be and Wishing Stars to collect, so I must excuse myself.”

As Bede strutted off, Rico briefly entertained ducking his head and introducing Bede’s backside to his horns.

“The nerve of that kid, huh?” Hop said. “I know you said he was a jerk, but I wasn’t aware of the full extent of it until I met him myself.”

Rico set Skewer down and let Shorty out of his Pokéball. The Pichu was still unconscious. Maybe they could run back to the Pokémon Center in Hulbury real quick…

“Use one of your revives.”

Rico looked up at Hop. “What?”

“Revive. You know, it’s that little yellow mineral. It can wake up a fainted Pokémon.”

Rico sat down on the ground and pulled off his bag, digging through the pockets until he found one and grabbed it.

Ok, now what?

Rico looked at Shorty, the revive, and then back to Hop.

“Dude, seriously. How the heck do these things work?”

“He has to eat it.”

Rico glanced uncertainly at the revive once more before stuffed it in the Pichu’s mouth. The Pokémon’s eyes shot open immediately and he jumped to his feet, sparking.

“Pichu! Pi!”

“Whoa, easy there!” Rico said. “Sorry, buddy, but the battle’s already over.”

Shorty looked around and realized the trainer and his Pokémon they were fighting were indeed gone. His ears drooped in disappointment.

“Hey, don’t feel bad, Shorty.” Rico said, patting him on the head. “Ya were real tough and didn’t have to switch out even once. You got so much stronger. I’m proud of ya!”

Shorty looked up at Rico with big watery eyes, touched by Rico’s compliment. Suddenly, he began to glow. Rico withdrew his hand in surprise. The Pichu was engulfed in a bluish-white light as he suddenly increased a bit in size and his tail got longer. When the light faded, a Pikachu stood in Shorty’s place.

“Shorty?”

“Pika!”

“Congratulations, mate.” Hop said. “Your Pichu evolved into Pikachu!”

Rico scooped up Shorty and Skewer into each arm and squeezed them close.

“This is the best day ever! First,” Rico nods toward Skewer, “ya just learned a new move! Then,” Rico nods toward Shorty, “ya just went and evolved! And I just got an Applin from my most favorite human in the world!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone have any idea how Revives work?


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First up close meeting with Kabu, man of fire. Though he's not the only wielder of fire around here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some playful shenanigans. Next chapter will be more interesting.

Rico was still squeezing and nuzzling his Pokémon when Hop tried to get his attention.

“Rico, we still have an entire mine to get through.”

“Aw c’mon, Hop. Let me have this.” Rico whined. “The only way this could possibly get better is if mackerel started rainin’ down from the sky!”

Hop rolled his eyes and turned to look further down the mine. Something was glistening in the dirt.

“What’s this?” Hop asked, bending down to pick it up.

Rico set down his Pokémon and approached Hop’s side. From what he could tell, it looked like a card. 

“It’s Bede’s League card. He must have dropped it when he was leaving.” Hop said.

Rico snorted. “So what?”

“Aren’t you curious what it says?”

“Not really.”

Hop ignored him and turned the card over to read.

_“Bede spent some time living in an orphanage after his family ran into some trouble when he was young. He always had difficulty getting along with others and would constantly get into fights. That is until one day Rose visited the facility. Rose gave Bede a Pokémon, which changed Bede’s life forever. He showed talent as a Trainer and threw himself into Pokémon battles, becoming stronger by the day. He has joined the Gym Challenge with an endorsement from the chairman himself, and Bede plans to prove that the chairman’s faith was not misplaced.”_

Hop frowned. “That’s kind of sad. No wonder why he looks up to the Chairman so much.”

“Doesn’t excuse his piss-poor attitude.”

“Rico! Don’t be so harsh! He has no parents.”

“Neither do I, but ya don’t see me bein’ a prick about it!”

“Wait, what?”

Rico turned back to his own Pokémon, much preferring to fawn over them then talk about Bede.

“Guess ya don’t need this anymore huh, Shorty?” 

Hop watched as Rico reached for something under Shorty’s fur, coming away with a small, shiny object that had been hidden around his neck.

“That’s the soothe bell. From Motostoke.” Hop realized.

“Yup. When ya told me I should give it to Shorty I did just that.”

Rico then bent down and lightly tugged Shorty’s cheeks. They were stretchy and elastic. Shorty didn’t seem amused, backing out of his reach. Rico chuckled.

“I always wanted to try that.”

Hop didn’t know if Rico was dodging the question or just easily distracted. He figured he’d ask Rico about it later. Maybe it was a sensitive subject for him.

They made their way further down the mine shafts, seeing very few workers and their Pokémon about. Rico asked what was up with that and Hop shrugged, suggesting they had the day off. It made traversing through the mine faster, at least. Hopefully, they would find Kabu soon enough.

“Looky here.” Rico approached what looked like a Pokéball half buried in the dirt.

“Don’t touch that!” Hop exclaimed, grabbing Rico and yanking him back before he could make contact. Right at that moment, a trap shot out of the ground, clamping around the air where Rico’s hand had been.

“Holy crap! What is that!?” Rico looked down in horror.

“That’s a Stunfisk. They hide themselves in the mud and wait for prey to step on them, then they clamp their jagged steel fins down on them.”

“It’s like a freakin’ bear trap!”

Rico glanced over his shoulder to see Shorty approaching a similar Pokéball look-alike peeking out from the dirt.

“Shorty, no!”

Rico grabbed the Pikachu and tried to use his tail to swat away the offending Pokémon, but the Stunfisk just clamped its fins on his tail instead.

Rico shrieked. He dropped Shorty and began to flail.

“Get it off! Get it off!”

Skewer jumped up to try and grab the Stunfisk, but was thrown off. Hop tried to approach, but Rico’s thrashing made it too dangerous to get close enough to try and dislodge the trap Pokémon.

“Rico! Hold still! I can’t get it if you keep moving like that!”

Just when Hop was considering sending out one of his Pokémon to knock it off, Rico suddenly stopped, eyes glowing bright orange.

“GET! IT! OFF!”

The temperature in the mine seemed to spike for a minute as Rico’s tail suddenly glowed as orange as his eyes. The Stunfisk dropped from his tail, completely charred. 

Rico started to calm down once the Stunfisk let go of his tail. Hop stood there gaping at the Pokémon, then looked up at Rico.

_Oh shi-_

“I’m sorry!” Rico cried. “I wasn’t tryin’ to kill it! I just… it hurt and wouldn’t let go…”

“Fiiiiiisk…”

They both looked down at the Stunfisk at the same time. Ok, so he didn’t kill it. That was a relief. Pokémon were pretty resilient as far as he could tell, based on the attacks that they endured. Still, he probably hurt it pretty bad.

Hop bent down to examine it.

“Looks like it’s okay. You probably KO’d it, but I don’t think you did any permanent damage.”

He stood back up and looked at Rico, who looked ready to cry.

“Rico?”

“I’m sorry. I really wasn’t tryin’ to attack it. It just happened. I know I promised not to terrorize any Pokémon but-”

“Yeah, it was pretty bad.” Hop admitted. “But you were just defending yourself. Any Pokémon would have done the same.”

“I really am sorry…” At this point Rico wasn’t sure if he was apologizing to Hop or the Stunfisk.

“We’ll be more careful from here on out, and hopefully this won’t have to happen again. You are allowed to defend yourself, Rico. Just don’t take it too far.”

Rico reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an Oran berry. He had been saving it as a snack, but this Stunfisk needed it more. He put it next to the Pokémon so that when it woke up it could regain its energy. A sort of apology for what Rico had done. Hop marveled a little at the act.

“How’s your tail? Does it need to be patched up?”

Rico curled his tail around to check on it. Unlike his arms, his tail still had the benefit of a protective layer of scales. He could see some of them were cracked and bent. They would probably fall out. No problem though, they’d grow back with time. It still hurt, but nothing was broken or punctured as far as he could feel.

“I’ll live.”

Hop approached cautiously, reaching out as if to touch his scales. Rico didn’t know if he was hesitant because he thought it would burn or Rico wouldn’t approve. He twitched his tail just subtly enough so that Hop’s fingers came in contact with it.

Rico had an idea how his own scales felt. Hard, dry, and ridged. He was a little curious to know how they felt to a human.

“As many times as I’ve seen your tail, I don’t think I’ve ever paid this close attention.” Hop noted. “Those are some sturdy scales.” 

“Thanks.”

“So what was that?” Hop asked, absentmindedly stroking Rico’s tail for a moment. Rico suppressed a purr at the contact.

“What was what?”

“That thing you did. Was that heat energy?”

Rico nodded. “Yeah. It’s exhaustin’ though. I try not to do it too often. That Stunfisk just caught me off guard.”

Rico turned back to check on his Pokémon. Skewer seemed indifferent. It made sense. He’d been with Rico the longest and knew about his trainer’s inhuman quirks. However, Shorty looked shocked.

Rico bent down to get eye level with them.

“Hey, sorry about that. Hope I didn’t scare ya guys too much.” 

“Pika.” Shorty shook his head.

“That’s good. I’ll try not to do it again. At least not in front of y’all.”

After getting themselves sorted Rico tucked his tail away again and returned Shorty to his ball while Skewer opted to climb up Rico’s shoulder. They gave anything that even remotely resembled a Pokéball a wide berth as they traveled through the mine. Further down they came across a bit of a ruckus, turning the corner to see a pair of Team Yell grunts blocking the tunnel.

“Careful, Rico.” Hop said. “I know you don’t think they’re that bad, but they can still be a nuisance.”

“Hey guys!” Rico said, approaching and waving. Hop stared at him, mouth agape.

The grunts seemed startled at first, likely not expecting someone to walk right up to them.

“’Scuse me, mate…” one of them started, “but you’re one of them takin’ part in the Gym Challenge, right?”

_They’re sure bein’ politer than usual._

“Yup!” Rico nodded eagerly.

“Crikey!” The second one exclaimed. “That’s really something! I’d love a battle against a great trainer like you!”

_And showerin’ with compliments too?_

“Aw, shucks.” Rico scratched the back of his neck. Skewer whined at being jostled. “If y’all want a battle, I’d be happy to oblige.”

Rico didn’t seem to notice the grunts closing in. Hop quickly stepped up next to him, making his presence known.

“Well, look at that, Rico! Surrounded by adoring fans now? I bet you’ll be showing up Lee pretty soon!” 

“Oi! Jog on, mate! Can’t you see we’re in the middle of conversation here?”

“Yeah?” Hop crossed his arms while fixing the grunt with a hard stare. “And can’t you see that I’m Hop, the Trainer who’ll be your next Champion?” 

“Oooh, we got a joker here, eh?” the grunt jeered. “You’re so funny I forgot to laugh!”

 _Okay, so not that polite,_ Rico thought.

“You think I’m joking?” Hop asked. “I’ll prove it, then! And I think a battle with you lot would definitely end with some laughs!” 

He glanced over at Rico, smirking. “Let’s take ’em together, Rico! You ready, mate?”

A double battle with Hop? Rico was always down for that! “Heck yeah! Let’s show ‘em what Champion endorsed trainers can do!”

One of the grunts groaned. “What’d this other bloke have to come waltzin’ up for, eh? I just wanted to knock off challengers one at a time.”

“We’re gonna knock y’all off at the s _ame_ time!” Rico declared.

“S’like that, is it? Team Yell’s gonna teach you lot that the Gym Challenge’s no joke! You better not be yell-ow!”

The grunts sent out a Thievul and creature that looked like a long badger. Rico recognized it as Linoone. Zigzagoon’s evolved form.

“Let’s show them, Scotch!” Hop said as he released his partner.

Rico locked eyes with Skewer and nodded. 

“Kick their butts, Skewer!” Rico shouted and he swung his arm forward, Skewer using the momentum to leap off Rico’s shoulder into the fray.

Rico was all too eager to show off Skewer’s new Dragon Claw, clashing with Linoone’s Night Slash. Scotch endured an Assurance attack with Defense Curl and bounced right back with Double Kick. The Yell grunts proved to be a little tougher than others they had encountered, but their Pokémon ultimately succumbed to a double Dragon Rage that Scotch was able to use through Copycat.

The grunts weren’t done, however, sending out a Pancham and a Liepard. Rico got a little pissed when he saw the Liepard because it reminded him of the one that attacked Hop. As soon as there was an opening Rico had Skewer strike with Poison Jab. He watched as the Liepard’s already purple coat turned a shade darker, indicating poison had taken effect. Rico probably could’ve had Skewer just run around and dodge Liepard’s attacks from here and just let the poison finish Liepard off, but decided to end it quickly with Dragon Claw.

Unfortunately, Pancham’s Circle Throw forced Hop to switch Scotch for Ace. The Corvisquire had the type advantage, however, and with a few Plucks he easily brought down the small panda.

Rico jumped and punched the air. “We did it!”

The grunts groaned and hung their heads. “Are you gonna yell at us ‘cause we up an’ yell-lost?”

Rico snorted. “Y’all better _get_ lost!” 

One grunt held up his hands. “I know we’re Team Yell, but we’ll leave quietly once we’re beaten…”

As they retreated, Rico caught wind of their grumbling.

“I recognize him now. That little mug’s the Champion’s little brother…”

“Nice one, Rico!” Hop said, slinging an arm around Rico. “That’s my rival for you!”

Rico rubbed his cheek against Hop’s shoulder. “I really like battlin’ with you. Tag battles are way more fun than battlin’ by yourself.”

Hop let out a weird sounding chuckle, then pat his Corvisquire before returning him to his Pokéball.

“Now then… Where could Kabu have gone off to?” Hop asked out loud and they walked down the tunnel.

“Maybe he’s further in. How deep is this mine, anyway?”

“It connects Hulbury to Motostoke, so it shouldn’t be much longer.”

Rico stopped. “Wait. This whole area is one big loop?” 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when we got to Motostoke for the first time, we had to go through the first mine to get to Turffield, then we went to Hulbury, and now we’re goin’ through this mine that leads right back to Motostoke. If we gotta go to Hammerlocke after this, how’re we gonna get there if we’re just goin’ in circles?”

“Easy. We go back through the Wild Area.” Hop said, pulling out his phone to open the map app. “See here? We have to go through Motostoke Riverbank first. That’ll take us to Bridge Field. Then once we cross that and get through the Stony Wilderness and the Dusty Bowl, we should be in Hammerlocke Hills.”

“That’s a long ways to go.” Rico said. “Hey, what’s this li'l area over here?” He pointed to an island on the far left of the screen.

“That’s the Lake of Outrage.” Hop explained. “It’s mostly off-limits to trainers though.”

“Why’s that?”

“The Pokémon there are insanely strong for one. But it’s also a wildlife preserve, mostly for dragon-types. You need special permission to be there or catch anything.”

“Wow.”

Hop then pocketed his phone, continuing on through. Rico followed behind, content to let Hop lead since it seemed like he knew where he was going. Skewer got tired of walking after a while and began to whine, so Rico picked him up.

“Don’t get too used to this, Skewer.” Rico said. “One day you’re gonna be a big, mighty Haxorus, and I won’t be able to carry you anymore.”

“Yew!” Skewer sounded indignant. Huh? 

Another commotion up ahead drew their attention.

“More Team Yell?” Rico asked.

“Most likely.” Hop said, gripping a Pokéball. “Get ready.”

What they came across was an older man with a cart of coal by his side glaring down at the two Team Yell grunts from earlier.

“Thank you for helping me with my training, Team Yell. But I must say…” The man said with a stern voice, “it’s unforgivable for you to get in the way of a Carkol hard at work!”

The cart next to the man let out a “Goooor!”

_That thing’s a Pokémon!?_

The Team Yell Grunts started to back away. “We weren’t gettin’ in its way! We were tryin’ to cheer it on!”

“Cheering is one thing, but one shouldn’t get in the way of honest work!” The man said.

The second Grunt spoke up after his companion. “Still, you did a number on us in that Pokémon battle, so…”

They turned and booked it. “It’s time for Team Yell to scarper and give a morale boost elsewhere!”

The man shook his head, muttering something about “Teens these days…”

“Rico, that’s Kabu!” Hop pointed, excitement written all over his face. “Man, he’s wicked! No wonder he’s the fire-type Gym Leader!”

Apparently hearing Hop’s outburst, Kabu turned to face the two boys. Ooh, this man was handsome, but a little old for Rico’s liking. “Ah, you two must be the Trainers endorsed by Leon! Hop, am I right?”

“In the flesh!” Hop said proudly. “And this is… Rico? What’re you doing?”

Rico carefully approached the Carkol and gave it a sniff. When it wheeled around to face him he yapped and jumped back, nearly causing Skewer to fall off his shoulder.

Hop snickered a bit. “What was that about, mate?”

“I wasn’t sure it was real.” Rico said. “I mean, it’s a cart. Of coal. And it’s _alive!_ ”

It was Kabu’s turn to laugh. “It’s called Carkol. Not from Galar, I presume?”

“What gave it away?” Rico scratched his neck. Skewer had reached down to poke at the Carkol, but it moved away from his curious claws.

“Rico here is actually an exchange student from the Isle of Armor.” Hop explained.

“Ah, so I take it you’ve met Mustard then.” Kabu mused. “How has he been?”

“He’s real nice, even if can be a little scary at times.” Rico said.

“Good to hear.” Kabu said. The living coal cart nudged him, as if to remind Kabu it was still there. “I believe it’s just about time to get Carkol home. Come on, I’ll make sure you get there safely.”

Before he left, however, Kabu faced Rico and Hop once more with such fire in his eyes Rico couldn’t help but stare. “I specialize in Fire-type Pokémon, and the Water-type Pokémon in Galar Mine No. 2 are the perfect opponents to train against! I'm just training right up until the last moment so that I can guarantee the perfect match when I face you Gym Challengers!”

He pointed down the mine shaft, where Rico could see sunlight filtering in. “Just go straight once you get out of this mine, and you'll reach Motostoke. Get a good rest at the hotel, and make sure you're both in your top condition! We’re going to be on fire tomorrow!” 

With that, the man jogged out of the mine closely followed by the coal Pokémon. Did it have wheels for feet?

“I remember Lee talking about Kabu.” 

Rico was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard Hop speak.

“He told me a lot of Gym Challengers give up because they just can’t beat him.”

“Really?” Rico asked. “If he’s so strong why is he only the third Gym Leader? Shouldn’t he be last or something? Seems a little unfair.”

Hop placed his arms behind his head. “I think it’s meant to weed out the trainers that don’t take the Challenge seriously. Just because some people got an endorsement doesn’t mean they know how to appreciate it. And yeah, Kabu _is_ said to be pretty strong, but he’s got nothing on Raihan.”

Rico made a gagging noise. Hop chuckled.

“You really don’t like him, huh?”

“I don’t.” 

“Why?”

“He just… he gives me a bad vibe.” 

“I don’t understand why. I know he gets intense in battles, but he’s actually really nice once you get to know him. You should give him a chance.”

“I’d sooner eat my own wings.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic. Come on, let’s get out of this mine. It’s been fun and all, but I’m ready to see the light of day again.” 

The thought of Raihan made Rico uneasy. If he clung a little closer to Hop as they exited the mine no one could blame him. As soon as they were out, Rico took a deep inhale. The scent of fresh grass and air after the musty staleness of the mine hit him like a brick. Of course, the scent of smoke and food cooking was present in the air as well. They were close to Motostoke, and the third Gym badge.

“Is Carkol one of Kabu’s Pokémon we’re gonna have to fight?”

Hop pondered for a moment. “I’m pretty sure it was just here on a job.”

“Pokémon have jobs?” Rico had already figured Pokémon worked alongside their human companions, but Pokémon themselves could be employed too?

“You never heard of Poké Jobs?” Hop asked. “In that case… Settle down and let Professor Hop teach you a thing or two!”

Ooh. “Professor Hop” certainly had a nice ring to it. Rico didn’t think he’d mind getting lectured by him.

“Let me see if I can remember what Lee had written down in his old notebooks…” Hop scrunched up his face in thought, and Rico laughed under his breath at his expression. “Basically, people can have their Pokémon go about helping companies or other folks who are in need of something. Anyone can sign up right at the Rotomi at any Pokémon Center.”

The notion was almost funny to Rico. He wondered how that would work back home. Would they have to start paying the chickens for their eggs? Then again, it’s not all that different from search dogs in his own world. If animals could have jobs, so could Pokémon.

“That sounds covenant.”

“Covenant?”

“Uh… Useful? Easy?”

Hop laughed. “You mean _convenient?_ ”

Rico huffed. “Clearly ya know what I meant!”

“It is _convenient_.” Hop said, emphasizing the word. “And not only is it a help to companies, but it helps the Pokémon’s trainer as well. The Pokémon get stronger and their trainers get paid.”

He turned to head to Motostoke. “It’s a little weird to be back. Feels like we left just yesterday.”

Rico had an idea, putting Skewer back into his Pokéball for now. He went up to Hop and nudged his shoulder. “Wanna race back?”

Hop’s face twisted into a smirk. “You’re on, dragon boy! I’m not gonna make this convenient for you!”

“Will you stop that!?”

They ran across a bridge on their way, where feathers from flying Pokémon overhead blew into their faces. Hop sputtered and Rico laughed, nearly inhaling a feather himself.

Nearly choking on feathers ended up distracting them so much by the time they actually arrived in Motostoke, neither of them had any idea who made it there first. 

“Jeez, that was awful!” Rico said, holding his hat down as he shook the feathers off himself, looking like he was performing Feather Dance. “I mean, it was kinda funny, but it was awful!”

Hop reached into his jacket to pull out a couple of feathers that somehow got lodged in there and let the wind catch them.

“No winner this time. That’s no problem. I’ll definitely beat you next time.”

“Keep dreamin’, human.”

“Well anyway, first things first.” Hop said, marching past the stadium. “Let’s go book a couple of rooms at the Budew Drop Inn.”

“Right now? But it’s barely… Dex, what time is it?”

“Bzzzt! It izzz 3:09pm.” The phone answered.

“See? It’s only 3. Ya wanna go to bed already?”

“Nope. But this time I want to make sure we have rooms to sleep in tonight. Don’t want a repeat of what happened in Hulbury. What'll we do if the Pokémon Center in Motostoke doesn't have a bunk bed in their spare room?”

Rio shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind sharin’. S’not like we haven’t before.”

“Yeah… well… I need room to sprawl so…” Hop sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

“Guess that makes sense considerin’ last time ya ended up on the floor.”

“That was your fault you know...” Hop mumbled.

After taking care of booking a pair of rooms, they stepped outside the Inn and looked around.

“So now what do ya wanna do?” Rico asked.

“I think we should head for the routes on the east end of Motostoke and train up for tomorrow.” Hop said. “There’s likely to be other trainers out there too. We could get some good battles in!”

“Can we do something else first?”

“Like what?”

“Well, they got that Battle Café here, and it’s past lunchtime…”

“Of course. Why did I even bother to ask?” Hop rolled his eyes good-naturedly.


	33. Chapter 33

“These pancakes are so good!” Rico practically yelled. Luckily, there weren’t many other customers in the dining area. He stabbed another forkful and shoved it into his mouth. The pancakes were thick and fluffy, and seemed to have a natural sweetness even without the syrup. The syrup just made it even better though, being rich and flavorful along with the slices of fruit layered on top.

“Take it easy Rico.” Hop said, having long finished his smaller plate. “The pancakes aren’t running away from you.”

Rico had insisted on pancakes, not caring in the least how late in the day it was. He also insisted they feed all of their Pokémon too. Hop wasn’t sure all the sugar would be okay, but Rico convinced him that their fleet had earned it and it was just a one time treat. Their Pokémon were currently surrounding their table, munching on their own pancakes. Shorty seemed to like it the most, stuffing his cheeks with Rico-like gusto.

“I did promise I’d take you to try Alolan-style pancakes.” Hop said. “This actually turned out to be perfect timing, eh?”

Rico nodded, his own cheeks stuffed. It was all he could do not to lick his plate. Not in public.

Once they were finished eating, Hop lead Rico back to Motostoke Outskirts to train. They got to battle an older madame and a police officer. It was during one of these battles Rico found out Shorty could use Electro Ball.

“I’m definitely planning on using Snipes in this match. He’s the obvious choice, having the type advantage. But I’m still undecided on who else I should pick for my upcoming match.” Hop said. “Do you know what Pokémon you’re planning to use against Kabu, Rico?”

Rico realized in that moment he never thought this far ahead. “Aw shoot. I have no idea. I don’t got any water-types myself.”

He looked over his five Pokémon. Pippin was out of the question, being a grass-type. He knew Tajin really wanted to battle, and Rico did promise he would get to battle at the next gym. Fire was resistant against fire at least. That left him with two more Pokémon he had to pick.

“I guess Skewer and Tajin could work.”

“Good idea! They’re both resistant to fire, so that’s better than nothing! Who’s going to be your third pick?”

“Not sure yet. It’s between Nugget and Shorty.”

“Well, you’ve got until tomorrow to figure it out.” With that, Hop stretched his arms over his head and grunted. “Now, I’m cream-crackered! I’m for the Budew Drop Inn and some sleep, personally.”

“Crackers sound tasty.”

“I don’t get how you can be so hungry even after you just ate.”

“It’s a gift.”

“Sounds more like a curse.”

“Bite me.”

They traded playful jabs their entire way back, finally reaching the Inn after dark. Rico let out a yawn as he pushed open the doors.

“Finally feeling tired?” Hop asked.

“Like I could go into torpor…” Rico muttered.

He perked up like he just downed a few espressos, however, when he saw who else was hanging in the lobby.

“Marnie!” Rico exclaimed, running right over.

Marnie turned around and saw Rico making a beeline for her. “Uh, Challenger Rico, righ- oof!” She suddenly found herself trapped in an impromptu hug.

“Rico! You’re freaking her out!” Hop ran over and tried to dislodge the eager dragon. It took Meeko biting his leg to surprise Rico enough to pry him off.

“Sorry about that.” Hop said, hand gripping Rico’s arm. “He’s very… affectionate. Maybe a little too much so…”

Rico glared at Hop, then looked back at a shaken Marnie and a very pissed Meeko. She was so mad her fur had turned purple.

“Oh man. I’m real sorry.” Rico apologized. “It’s just... we ain’t seen each other since the last time we was in Motostoke and…”

“It’s… well, it’s not okay, but please just don’t do it again.” Marnie said.

Rico then crouched down to Meeko’s level. “And I’m sorry to you too, Meeko. It must’ve looked like I was attackin’ your human. I’ll try to keep it reined in from now on.”

Rico held out a berry as a peace offering, and Meeko’s fur faded back to a more friendly yellow as she snatched the berry and quickly devoured it.

“Well, since you’re here, I want to ask for your help for a sec.” Marnie said. 

“Help?” Rico asked as he stood. “With what?”

“I want t’see if I’m ready for the next leg of the Gym Challenge.”

Rico tilted his head. “And why do ya need me for that?”

“Mate, she’s asking you for a battle.” Hop explained.

“Oh! Okay then! Ya wanna battle, let’s do it!”

“Wicked! Got some fight in you, huh?” Marnie said, pulling out a green and black Pokéball.

A few Team Yell grunts unexpectedly appeared from where they had apparently been waiting on the second floor, blowing horns and waving banners as they cheered for Marnie. Rico paid them no mind.

“We gonna battle right here in the lobby?”

“Don’t see why not.” Marnie said. 

Rico nodded, then released Pippin. He wanted to get a better feel for her in battle.

The Pokémon Marnie sent out was a Croagunk, just like the one Rico encountered in the mine.

_Oh no, a poison-type!_

Should he switch Pippin out? Rico already regretted holding Shorty back for so long; he didn’t want to make the same mistake with her. Guess he’d take the chance.

“Pristima, Poison Sting!”

“Sucker Punch, Pippin!”

Pippin zipped forward before the frog could attack and slammed into her. Rico really liked that move.

Pristima quickly got her bearings, however, and launched out several poisonous darts that struck poor Pippin.

“Hang in there, girl! Withdraw!”

Pippin quickly hid herself within her apple. It may reduce the damage she took from Poison Sting, but it wouldn’t save her from getting poisoned. Rico had to act fast.

“Astonish!”

Pippin rolled out of the range of the poisonous darts and suddenly let out a high-pitched shriek. It seemed to have successfully startled Pristima, interrupting her attack and making her cringe.

Great! But now what? Pippin only knew Sucker Punch, Astonish, and Withdraw. 

Rico ordered another Astonish. Just as Pippin went to attack, Marnie called for her Pokémon to use Sucker Punch. Pristima recovered surprisingly quickly from the cringe and socked the Applin. 

“Poison Sting once more!”

“Withdraw!”

Pippin hid in her apple again as she was pelted with Pristima’s attack. Once the darts stopped flying, Pippin emerged, but the purplish tint she took on suggested she had been poisoned.

“Pippin!”

“End this with Venoshock!”

Pristima spewed a purple liquid that drenched Pippin. Rico frowned as he returned her. “It’s okay, girl. I should’ve known better.” 

Welp, that’s what he gets for taking a chance. Maybe he should have played it safe this time. Ugh, it was so hard to determine what to do sometimes.

“Your Croagunk’s really strong.” Rico said. “But let’s see if she can keep up with Nugget!”

Rico let out his Corvisquire.

“You named her Nugget?”

“What’s wrong with Nugget?”

“Nothing. It’s cute.”

“She’s more than cute.” Rico smirked. “Nugget, Peck!”

Nugget swooped down from the air and furiously pecked away at Pristima.

“Great job, Nugget! Keep it up!”

A dark glint flashed in Marnie’s eyes. “Hmm, I think this move expresses my feelin's. Revenge!”

An orange aura surrounded Pristima as she drew back and slugged Nugget in the keel, knocking her right out of the air.

“Poison Sting!”

“Nugget! Fly up quick!”

Nugget got to her feet and took off before the poisonous darts could land.

“Get behind her and use Peck!”

“Sucker Punch!”

Before Nugget could land a hit, Pristima whipped around and socked Nugget.

Dang! How is he supposed to land a hit like this?

“Use Peck once more!”

“Sucker Punch!”

“Spin around it!”

Nugget did a barrel roll, managing to dodge Pristima’s attack. Then, while still spinning, she landed a powerful peck that put the Croagunk down.

“That was Drill Peck!” Hop said.

“That’s awesome, Nugget!” Rico praised the circling Corvisquire. She let out a happy caw, clearly proud of her new move.

“Not bad.” Marnie said. “But we ain’t finished yet!”

She looked at Meeko. Meeko nodded and stepped into the fray.

“Careful. That’s an electric-type.” Hop warned.

“Ok. Nugget, come back.” Rico withdrew Nugget and instead sent out Tajin. “Get her, Tajin! Quick Attack!”

“Parting Shot!”

Huh? Rico watched as Meeko squeaked something angrily at Tajin that made the Raboot stumble back as if in shock. Then Meeko suddenly switched out with a small, yellow Pokémon that looked like it was wearing baggy pants. A Scraggy, he realized.

“Okay then. Tajin, Flame Charge!”

Tajin lit himself on fire and rushed to tackle the Scraggy. Before he could make contact, Marnie yelled, “Protect!”

Tajin crashed into the barrier Scraggy threw up, falling back but landed on his feet. 

“Use Flame Charge again!” Protect only lasted so long. And Rico knew it couldn’t be used twice in a row.

“Headbutt, Zurui!”

Scraggy rushed forward with no concern for her own safety, crashing into Tajin. Tajin’s move was stronger though, easily pushing her back.

“Now Double Kick!”

Tajin immediately launched into Double Kick right as Zurui pulled her pants-skin up to her neck. The kicks bounced off her elastic skin. Rico and Tajin’s eyes widened as they realized the vulnerable position they were left in.

“Now use Headbutt!”

Zurui smashed her head into Tajin, knocking back the rabbit Pokémon. 

“Tajin, you okay?”

Tajin glanced back at Rico and nodded.

Okay, what to do now? Scraggy’s skin was practically impenetrable to attacks. Maybe if he aimed for something else…

“Quick Attack!”

“Protect!”

Tajin once again ricocheted off the protective barrier surrounding Zurui. The look in his eyes suggested he was getting more and more frustrated. Rico was getting kind of irritated too. He was going to end this.

“Flame Charge!”

Tajin rushed once more toward Zurui, who once again pulled her skin up to her neck. Rico predicted this.

“Now jump and use Double Kick!”

Boosted by the speed of Flame Charge, Tajin shot up out of the fire and did a flip, landing two powerful kicks right to Zurui’s forehead. The Scraggy fell on her back and did not get back up.

“Impressive strategy, getting around Zurui’s natural defenses.” Marnie said. “It'd be no fun if things ended just yet... That's why we aren't givin' up!” She called on Meeko once more.

“Still wanna go, Tajin?” Rico asked. Tajin nodded. “Alright! Quick Attack!”

“Quick Attack right back, Meeko!”

Despite Meeko’s small size she was evenly matched with Tajin. Both Pokémon landed on their feet and glared at each other.

“Meeko, Bite!” 

The Morpeko’s fur turned purple and she leapt at Tajin. He threw up an arm in defense, which only resulted in Meeko chomping down on his arm. 

“Tajin!” Rico cried out, seeing the rabbit flail his arm as he tried to throw off the two-sided Pokemon. The little beast had the jaws of a gator. Tajin would be in trouble if he couldn’t shake her off.

Or maybe he could burn her off.

“Flame Charge!”

Tajin engulfed himself in flame, which also set Meeko on fire. 

“Meeko, get out of there!”

Before the Morpeko could let go, Tajin rocketed forward.

“Now throw her off!”

Tajin jumped up and swung his arm, throwing off the flaming hamster.

“Meeko, Thundershock!”

Meeko just managed to loose an electric jolt that shocked Tajin, knocking him to the floor. Meeko crashed into the floor shortly after.

“Tajin?”

“Meeko?”

Neither Pokemon responded.

“Looks like both Pokémon are down!” Hop announced. “But Rico still has his Corvisquire, so he wins!”

Rico nearly sat down. That was intense. He walked over to Tajin and picked him up. Tajin cracked open an eye, looking at Rico.

“You did great, buddy. Take a good rest.” Tajin closed his eye again as Rico put him back in his ball. When Rico looked up, he saw Marnie cradling her Morpeko.

“Guess you must not be too bad after all, huh?" Marnie said, tone tired.

“Rico’s pretty strong, eh?” Hop said. “Not bad for a dra- I mean a new Challenger. He hasn’t lost a battle yet!”

“Really?” Marnie asked, looking at Rico a little incredulously.

“Well, not exactly.” Rico said. “Back on the Isle of Armor I lost a lot of battles. The trainers there are really strong and I was just startin’ out myself.”

“Their trainin’ must’ve be pretty effective if you’ve come this far since.”

Rico felt his face heat up a little. “Aw, shucks. Ya were pretty good yourself.”

Marnie nodded. Though she didn’t smile, her eyes lit up at the compliment. “Guess I'd better get to bed and rest up for tomorrow. You two better get to sleep, too."

As they parted ways, Hop called over his shoulder, “Hey Marnie! Next time we meet, _I_ wanna have a battle with you!” 

They checked in at the front desk for the night, then took the lift to their floor to find their respective rooms.

“You know,” Hop said, “I always thought dragons were supposed to be really vain and love showing off.”

“Of course. Braggin’ is fun. How else are others supposed to know how great ya are?” Rico put his hands on his hips and tilted his chin up. “But I ain’t gonna be an ass about it.”

Hop snickered. “How noble.”

Rico playfully shoved him.

“Hey, ya know a lot about moves and stuff. What’s Parting Shot?”

“Oh, it cuts the opponent’s Attack and Special Attack.”

“That’s why Tajin’s moves didn’t hit as hard! I knew he shoulda been able to take out that Scraggy with one Double Kick!”

“Probably. It’s a good thing he got a boost from Blaze when facing Meeko, huh?”

“Blaze?”

“It’s his special ability. When Raboot is in a pinch, all of his fire-type attacks get stronger!”

“I completely forgot abilities were a thing.” Rico admitted.

“Sounds like you need to do some research.” Hop said. 

Rico groaned.

“Hey, no whining. You never know when a Pokémon’s ability can make or break a battle. At least start by getting to know your own Pokémon’s abilities.”

“Alright, I’ll work on it.” Rico said, stifling a yawn as he reached his designated room for the night. “First thing tomorrow.”

He put the key in the slot, but the door wouldn’t open. Confused, he tried again, but still no luck.

“Something wrong?” Hop asked.

“The stupid keycard ain’t workin’!”

“Let me see it.” Hop took the offered card, looked at the number, and much to Rico’s confusion, began to laugh. “Mate, your card says 321. This is room 312. You’re down the hall.”

Rico glanced back at the number next to the door, then the card, then back to the door. He scratched a horn through his hat sheepishly.

“Sorry… My dyslexia…”

He quickly took back the card and darted down the hall before he could embarrass himself further.

************

Rico stumbled into the lift with a yawn, stretching his arms overhead. He didn’t sleep well last night, more nightmares plaguing him. The most frustrating part is that the voices sound so familiar and yet he couldn’t place them.

He stepped off of the lift to see Marnie standing in the lobby, Meeko perched on her shoulder as usual.

“Mornin’, Rico.”

“Mornin’… Marnie…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t sleep too good…” 

“Sorry to hear that. That friend of yours already went off to challenge the next Gym.”

“He did what!?” Rico abruptly looked much more awake. “That little…”

Marnie looked on in surprise at Rico’s sudden change of demeanor. Was he angry because Hop ran off ahead of him?

“He skipped breakfast!” Rico shook his head. “Hop, you blockhead! I told ya breakfast is important! Luckily, being the great friend I am, I brought his favorite.”

Rico pulled out a bag of Pewter Crunchies.

“Betcha he’s gonna be real hungry after his match.”

Meeko reached for the bag and Rico quickly pulled away. “Get your own! This is for Hop!”

Marnie let out a ghost of a laugh. “You gonna force-feed ‘im?”

“If I have to.”

They started making their way out of the Inn toward the stadium down the street. Rico went on about the importance of not skipping meals and how Hop was likely going to crash later from lack of nutrients or something. Marnie wanted to question if a bag of junk food was really all that nutritious, but decided against it. 

“Oh, by the way.” Marnie said. “Kabu's League Card is said to help against him, but I ended up with a few copies, so I'll give ya one.”

“Really?” Rico took it with a look of absolute gratitude. “Hey thanks! That’s really nice of ya!”

“Don't look so chuffed. It's no big deal.”

“Want one of mine?” Before Marnie could answer Rico had already whipped out a card in front of her face. “It’s only fair, since ya gave me Kabu’s.”

Marnie squinted a little at the card. “What’s up with your face?” 

“S’not my fault!” Rico huffed. “Hop was makin’ me laugh!”

“Ya like him, don’t ya?” Marnie asked.

“Well, yeah. He’s my best friend after all.”

“Is that all he is?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s obviously ya really like him. More than platonically.”

Rico narrowed his eyes. “So what if I do?”

Marnie waved him off. “I’m not judgin’, Rico. But it’s kinda obvious. Ya cling to him tighter than a Komala to a log.”

Rico flushed. “Well, somebody’s gotta protect him.”

“Uh-huh. And ya decided that ‘somebody’ should be you, hm?”

“What’s a Komala?”

Was he dodging the question? “It’s a Pokémon from the Alola region. So are ya goin’ to tell Hop or what?”

“I don’t know. Should I?”

“Don’t ya want to know if he feels the same?”

Rico sighed. “It’s just… He’s…” _A human_ , Rico thought.

Marnie frowned. “Is it because you’re both guys?”

Rico looked offended at the suggestion. “Hell nah! That never bothered me! I don’t get why humans make such a big deal about that!”

_Humans?_

“So if that doesn’t matter, why don’t ya just tell him?”

“It’s … aaargh! Ya just don’t get it!”

“Guess I don’t.” Marnie shrugged. “But you sure remind me of what my big bro said about how a certain Gym Leader and Champion acted back when they were-”

“Ya got a big brother too?” Rico didn’t seem to hear anything past that. “Great! Hop has a brother!”

“Everyone knows Leon-”

“And I got a brother too! This is awesome!” Rico slung an arm around Marnie’s shoulder, much to the displeasure of Meeko who was nearly knocked off, and waved his other hand in front of him as if to frame his brilliant idea.

“We could be like the Three Musketeers… of having big brothers!”

“Uhhh…”

“What’s his name, by the way?”

“Piers…”

“Piers. My brother’s name is Scourge. If I ever see him again, I wanna introduce him to all of y’all. I bet he’d like ya. Well, maybe not at first, but I’m sure could change his mind.”

 _Ever see him again?_ Marnie thought. _What does he mean by that?_

“Welp. Looks like we’re here.” Rico stopped and looked up at the stadium looming ahead. “It was nice talkin’ to ya, Marnie. I hope we bump into each other again. And next time ya gotta introduce me to Piers! See ya! Thanks again for Kabu’s card!”

He waved at the somewhat bewildered Marnie before disappearing through the stadium doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact:
> 
> Pristima = Pristimantis mutabilis, also known as the "punk rock" rainfrog.
> 
> Also, I'm hoping to add more pictures as a semi-regular thing if y'all want to see, but with school cropping up it may not be often.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Motostoke Gym Battle start! Also, I changed up a few of Kabu's Pokemon's moves to be better while still being level appropriate. It's just as a fire-type specialist you'd think at least one of his Pokemon would know a move that could counter water-types.

Rico had just registered at the desk when Hop came strutting out of the locker room. Judging by his confident stride, Rico could safely assume he had won. He was a little disappointed he didn’t get to see it this time.

“Slow moving, aren’t you, Rico?” Hop smirked. “For a minute there I was sure you planned on sleeping through the whole tournament.”

Rico crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Hop. “Forgettin’ something?”

Hop blinked in confusion for a moment. As if on cue, his stomach let out a low rumble.

“What did I tell ya about skippin’ breakfast?”

Hop placed a hand over his stomach as if to muffle the sound. “Ah, sorry. As soon as I got up, I headed straight for the stadium. I just couldn’t wait!”

Rico sighed and practically thrust the snack bag in Hop’s face. “Lucky I’m here to look out for ya. Now hurry up and eat this before ya collapse.”

“It’s not like I haven’t eaten in days, Rico.” Hop said, taking the bag. “Hey! More Pewter Crunchies! Thanks, mate! These are my favorite!”

“I know.” Rico said, watching Hop tear into the bag.

“Did you eat anything?” Hop asked between bites.

“I ate back at the Inn. Didja know? If ya mix cereal with curry, it technically counts as breakfast.”

Hop made a gagging noise. “That sounds awful.”

“Nah. You’re just a fussy eater.”

“Weirdo.”

“Picky.”

“Whatever. Anyway, I’ve already gone and earned my Fire Badge.” Hop paused his snacking to show Rico his newly acquired badge: a brilliant red flame etched into gold plating. “That man of fire Kabu really lives up to his name. I nearly got burnt in my battle with him!” 

Rico bristled. “He didn’t hurt ya, did he?” 

Hop chuckled. “I’m fine, Rico. Geez, are all dragons this overprotective?”

“Only when we have somethin’ worth protectin’.” Rico muttered. _Or someone._

“Well it was pretty touch-and-go during that match, even with my strongest team.” Hop said, apparently not hearing Rico’s remark. “But hey! I still won in the end! Get a shift on, Rico! I bet you could beat the man of fire too.”

Rico grinned. “I’ll show him. Dragons are the true masters of fire!”

Hop laughed. “See you after the match, then?”

“You bet!”

Rico’s number was called up in short order. He waved to Hop before heading in the locker room. He pressed himself to the wall to get out of the way of an angry challenger that stormed through, punching a locker and sneering something about how unfairly hard Kabu’s challenge was. 

Yikes. Was it really _that_ bad?

Once they were gone, he quickly changed and headed for the field. On the way down the hall, he wondered what Kabu’s Gym Challenge would be. At least he could be sure there’d be no pillars of water to run under. Ooh, maybe there’d be pillars of fire! That would be fun!

The doors opened into a round room with three patches of tall grass divvied up by cones. An indoor garden? This looked like something he’d expect from Milo’s Gym. He stepped onto the big red symbol in the middle of the room, noticing three other humans in the room dressed in red uniforms.

“The Gym mission for the Fire Gym is this!”

Rico jolted and whipped around, seeing the referee standing behind him. Yeesh. Did he have to sneak up on him like that?

“You must catch Pokémon to earn the most points!” The ref explained. “Using these Gym authorized Pokéballs!” He handed Rico three Pokéballs. “Earn five points to win the Gym mission! You will receive one point for defeating a Pokémon in the tall grass or two for catching one.”

Rico had to catch Pokémon? This sounded kind of fun. “Alright, that doesn’t sound so hard.”

“But you won’t be alone in this competition.” The ref continued. “Other Trainers will be joining you in your battles!”

So that must be the hard part. The others were here to sabotage his attempts.

“Think about what your opponents might do, and try to take the best action to rack up points. Gym mission start!”

With that the ref, Dan, Rico believed his name was, stepped off the field. A whistle blew and Rico ran straight into the closest patch of grass. Poking around a bit, he eventually encountered a small, foxlike Pokémon with multiple tails.

_A Vulpix!_

Rico sent out Nugget at the same time the Gym trainer tailing him released a Rolycoly. Rico glared at the trainer. He was not going to get in his way! Rico ordered Nugget to use Rock Smash. He would have gone with Drill Peck, but didn’t want to risk knocking out the Vulpix. The other trainer’s Rolycoly used Rapid Spin. Before they could try anything else, Rico quickly stepped in and tossed the Pokéball, hitting the fox Pokémon square in the forehead. Vulpix was pulled inside the ball and Rico waited anxiously until it clicked. The ref announced Rico had earned 2 points.

_Whew. One down, two to go._

Rico nabbed the ball and headed into the right patch of grass. He found a weird centipede-like Pokémon he didn’t recognize. It looked like a bug type though. He used Skewer this time, not wanting to knock out the centipede by accident. The trainer that approached sent out a black salamander-like Pokémon they called Salandit.

Before Rico could even call out a move, the trainer’s Salandit attacked Skewer with Fake Out.

“Hey!” Rico snapped and shoulder-checked the other trainer. A whistle was blown.

“Penalty!”

Rico turned to glare at the ref. “Why am I in trouble? She attacked my Pokémon!”

“We’re allowed to do that!” The other trainer snapped. “The whole point is to interfere with your capture attempts!”

Rico was then told if he did it again he would be disqualified. Fine. He didn’t want to be kicked out. During the distraction, the centipede tried to bite Skewer. Skewer managed to dodge it, then called back to Rico to get his attention. Rico quickly turned back to the battle and ordered Skewer to use Dragon Rage. Right as the trainer called Salandit to attack, Rico jumped in front of them. They were forced to halt their attack as Rico tossed his second Pokéball at the bug Pokémon. Rico looked back at the shocked trainer and smirked. He didn’t break any rules by getting in _their_ way. After scooping up the ball he headed for the northern most patch of grass. He found a candle burning with a purple flame. It was cute, but Rico remembered something about Litwick burning up people’s souls for fuel. Or was that Lampent? Creepy Pokémon either way. 

Rico decided on Shorty this time as the final Gym trainer sent out a similar centipede Pokémon to the one he just caught. He quickly learned it was called Sizzlipede. Rico wasn’t taking any chances this time, immediately having Shorty use Fake Out on Sizzlipede before turning around and using Electro Ball on Litwick. Litwick recovered quickly and used Night Shade. Rico had Shorty use Quick Attack to dodge, resulting in Sizzlipede getting hit instead. Rico then had Shorty use Electro Ball on Sizzlipede, knocking it out.

“Hey!” The indignant trainer glowered at Rico, who smiled innocently back.

“What? There’s nothing that says I can’t beat your Pokémon!”

After confusing the Litwick with Sweet Kiss, Rico easily caught the last Pokémon, earning him six points in total.

Another whistle was blown to signify the end of the mission. Rico returned Shorty and maneuvered back to the center of the field. He faced Dan and the three trainers, two of which were still scowling at him.

“Clearing Leader Kabu’s gym mission like that… You’re positively on fire!” The referee, Dan, declared. “Next you’ll be facing Kabu, the leader of the Fire Gym!” 

“Alright! Thanks!” Rico turned to leave but was stopped by Dan.

“But first I must ask of you to return the Gym’s Pokémon.”

He went through all that trouble to catch these Pokémon and he didn’t even get to keep them? That sucked. After reluctantly handing them over he made his way to the pitch. He stopped right before the entrance, noticing how different the field looked compared to the first time he was here. Gone was the green grass, replaced by a red clay ground. Being a dragon, Rico was no stranger to the necessity of fireproofing, considering how easily you could burn your home down from a single sneeze. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Kabu jogging up the hall. He still had the towel around his neck. He slowed long enough to nod at Rico, then continued on. Rico followed, a little impressed that this older guy had so much energy. They faced each other once they reached the middle of the pitch.

“Welcome!” Kabu said in a friendly tone. “As you know, I am Kabu, the fire-type Gym Leader.”

“Pleased to meet ya again, sir.” Rico said.

Kabu smiled. “The fact that you are here means you've bested both Milo's Grass-type Pokémon and Nessa's Water-types. That's quite an accomplishment!”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Every Trainer and Pokémon trains hard in pursuit of victory. But that means your opponent is also working hard to win. In the end, the match is decided by which side is able to unleash their true potential. Now, are there any questions you’d like to ask before our match?”

“Just one.” Rico said. “What’s with the towel around your neck?”

Kabu stared at Rico for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a bark of a laugh as he started jogging to his end of the field. Rico was a bit annoyed. He didn’t even answer his question! Regardless, he made his way to the other end, ready to start.

The music started as soon as Kabu revealed his first partner: a Ninetales. It was stunning, seeing one in real life with its bright gold fur. It looked so fluffy. He took a second to admire it before sending out his own Pokémon: Shorty. Kabu started his Ninetales off with a Quick Attack.

“Fake Out!”

The Pikachu clapped his paws together, sending out a shockwave of air that pushed Ninetales back.

“Now use Electro Ball!”

Rico watched as Shorty launched a ball of electricity from his tail at his opponent. This was going great! They were starting off strong. He’d win this in no time!

“Sweet Kiss!” If he could confuse Ninetales, he might knock it out faster.

Shorty blew out a heart that began to float over to Ninetales.

“Destroy it with Will-O-Wisp!”

Ninetales recovered from flinching, opening its mouth and releasing eerie blue flames that burned up the heart. But that wasn’t the worst part. The blueish flames continued on until they engulfed Shorty as well.

Once the flames dispersed, Shorty recoiled in pain, giving off a reddish glow. 

_Uh oh._

Rico was pretty sure Shorty just got burned. He’d have to end this battle fast, then switch Shorty out. He had Shorty shoot another Electro Ball. It struck, but wasn’t enough to take down Ninetales. Ninetales then used a move called Hex. Ninetales eyes glowed, and a black aura shot out from it to Shorty. The Pikachu let out a sharp cry as he was struck by the move.

“Shorty! You ok?”

Shorty struggled back onto his feet.

“Try Electro Ball once more!”

Shorty fired the electrical ball from his tail, but to both their dismay, Kabu had Ninetales easily dodge it.

“Now use Fire Spin!” 

Swirling flame shot from Ninetales and engulfed Shorty. Rico couldn’t even see him for the flames.

“Oh crap! Volt Switch!”

“Quick Attack!”

Before Shorty could make a move, Ninetales shot forward. The move knocked Shorty out of the swirling vortex and across the pitch, landing unmoving next to Rico.

Rico knelt down to check on Shorty. He picked up the mouse Pokémon as he opened his eyes, looking exhaustedly at his trainer.

“Pika…”

Rico smiled. “Hey, don’t sweat it, buddy. Ya did your best.”

He put Shorty back in his ball and glanced back at his opponent. Ninetales had static electricity sparking around its fur. Shorty had managed to paralyze it!

Rico clutched his second Pokéball. He might be using him a little earlier than planned, but he still had a chance to turn this around. 

“Tajin, you’re up!”

The Raboot emerged from his Pokéball in a show of flames, eagerly facing down his opponent. 

Both trainers ordered their Pokémon to use Quick Attack. They clashed in the center of the pitch, both falling back at the same time. Rico was reminded of his battle with Marnie the other day. Just because one of them is bigger, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stronger.

Rico thought of what to do next. Tajin couldn’t be burned, at least, being a fire-type, but fire-type Pokémon could still get damaged and he couldn’t risk getting trapped by Fire Spin again.

“Use Flame Charge!”

As Tajin sped towards Ninetales surrounded by flames, Rico suddenly called out for him to use Double Kick. Tajin used the momentum to launch himself out of the flames. The paralysis slowed Ninetales done enough that it had no time to dodge the powerful pair of kicks delivered to its forehead. The Ninetales collapsed as Tajin stood triumphantly over it, paws in his pockets like it was no big deal.

“That was great, Tajin!” 

The Raboot didn’t look back, but he did tilt his chin up a little, letting Rico know he heard his compliment.

“Fighting fire with fire.” Kabu observed. “Back burning to consume the fuel before our own flames can spread. An interesting strategy. Nevertheless, this is far from over!”

Kabu’s next Pokémon was an Arcanine. The huge dog had such an intimidating glare that both Rico and Tajin shuddered.

“Still wanna go, Tajin?”

Tajin waved a paw in Rico’s direction.

“Alright then! Quick Attack!”

Tajin sped forward and struck Arcanine in the side of jaw. This proved to be a mistake, as Arcanine jerked his head and caught Tajin’s arm in its jaws.

“Thunder Fang!”

Tajin lit up with sparks as Arcanine bit down. Rico winced at the sight. He had to think of a way to make Arcanine let go and fast.

“Double Kick it right in the throat!”

Despite the pain, Tajin managed to swing his legs up, repeatedly kicking Arcanine in the throat until the dog dropped him, coughing.

Tajin landed on his feet. A bit wobbly, but he showed no signs of paralysis. Good. Now what?

“Uhh… try Flame Charge!”

“Extremespeed!”

Tajin clashed with Arcanine, but the latter seemed to be much stronger than Ninetales because it easily overpowered Tajin, knocking him back across the pitch. Tajin got back up, glaring at Arcanine.

Well that didn’t work. He needed a new plan before he got backed against a wall.

He looked at where Tajin was standing, right next to the stadium wall…

“Flame Wheel!”

Arcanine leapt forward, turning into a spinning wheel of fire headed right for Tajin. Tajin tensed, ready to attack or dodge at his trainer’s command.

“Stay right there, Tajin!”

Tajin looked at his trainer like he was crazy.

“Ya gotta trust me on this.”

Tajin nodded uncertainly, watching as Arcanine got closer.

_Wait for it… Now!_

“Tajin! Use Quick Attack to dodge!”

Tajin darted to the side at the very last second, causing Arcanine to crash headfirst into the wall.

“Now use Flame Charge!”

Tajin zipped behind Arcanine and lit himself on fire as he charged, slamming into Arcanine’s back and smashing it further into the wall.

Rico couldn’t believe that actually worked. He literally got that idea from watching cartoons. And Tajin’s Flame Charge did more damage than he expected. Was it because of that Blaze ability? But that would mean Tajin’s strength was waning.

Kabu recalled Arcanine and started talking out loud to himself.

"Light that fire and get your mind moving, Kabu! There still must be a path to victory!"

The last Pokémon Kabu released looked like a huge Sizzlipede with flaming antennae. It must be Sizzlipede’s evolved form.

Rico looked at Tajin. The rabbit was panting hard. It was obvious he was tired after fighting two Pokémon in a row and probably wouldn’t last much longer.

“Tajin. I’m gonna switch ya out, ok?”

Tajin turned around and shook his head.

“Whatd’ya mean no? C’mon, I can see you’re all tuckered out!”

Tajin crossed his arms and stomped his foot indignantly. He was either too determined or too stubborn to stop. Well, if that’s what he wants.

Kabu wasted no time, immediately returning Centiskorch to Dynamax.

“Burn bright, Centiskorch. Let Gigantamax change your size and your form!”

Rico swore he saw fire burning in Kabu’s eyes as he lobbed the enlarged ball behind him.

Wow! His Centiskorch wasn’t just giant, it looked completely different! Its already long body got even longer and its underbelly glowed bright yellow, its rings becoming more prominent.

“Our turn, Tajin!” Rico announced. As he Dynamaxed his own Pokémon, he wondered for a second if he should come up with his own cool catchphrase. The Gym Leaders all seemed to have one.

Rico had Tajin lead with Max Strike, knowing fire wouldn’t do very well against another fire-type. Centiskorch hardly seemed fazed, however.

“Flame always burn upwards, and so we'll always aim to go higher. You understand, don't you?” Kabu said. “Centiskorch! G-Max Centiferno!”

_What the hell is that?_

Centiskorch tilted to the side so its underbelly was exposed and contracted its body, its rings suddenly glowing brighter as it shot a massive explosion of flames that swallowed up Tajin along with his side of the field.

Rico threw an arm up, more to shield his eyes from the light than the fire. Holy crap, that was awesome! He could feel the intense heat even despite the fact he didn’t burn easily. But it made him briefly wonder how the much less fireproof Hop managed not to get scorched in this battle.

When he looked up at Tajin, he noticed the rabbit was barely standing. Even worse, there was a circle of flames surrounding Tajin up to his legs. It looked just like the flames of Ninetales’ Fire Spin attack. Rico knew Tajin didn’t have much fight left in him.

Let’s see. Centiskorch was clearly a fire-type, but Rico was sure it was also a bug-type, so fire-types moves should do a little more damage.

“Alright! Time to fight fire with fire! Tajin! Max Flare!”

Tajin put his paws together to form a giant fireball, then proceeded to kick it full force at Centiskorch. Much to his and Tajin’s horror, the giant centipede was still standing.

“How!?” Fire-types weren’t immune to fire, and Kabu didn’t order Centiskorch to use Max Guard, so how did it survive that hit?

“Using Max Flare against a Pokémon with Flash Fire,” Kabu said, shaking his head, “is perhaps not the best strategy.”

Flash Fire. Rico had heard of that. Ah damn! That was that ability that made the Pokémon able to absorb fire attacks! He didn’t know Centiskorch had that!

It was all over for Tajin with another G-Max Centiferno, the force of the move enough to knock Rico off balance this time. Tajin shrunk down in an explosion of light, lying unconscious on the ground.

Rico returned Tajin, sadly looking at his Pokéball.

“Sorry, buddy. This is all my fault. I didn’t know better.”

Well, he was down to his last Pokémon. This was going to be hard. Centiskorch was still Dynamaxed and had barely taken any damage. Rico gulped as he released Skewer from his ball.

“Axew!” Skewer let out a cry and looked toward his opponent, nearly recoiling in fear at the sight of the giant bug. He looked expectantly back at Rico, who only shrugged.

“Sorry, Skewer. I already used Dynamax on Tajin.”

Skewer looked uncertainly back at Centiskorch. Rico figured he and Skewer were feeling the same thing at that moment.

_We’re screwed._

“Okay. Let’s try… Dragon Claw!”

As Skewer rushed in with claws raised, Kabu ordered Centiskorch to use Max Darkness. Probably because dragon was resistant to fire. The dark energy overpowered Skewer and swept the Pokémon off his feet. Though he quickly got back up, he seemed to be losing more confidence. Rico knew how he felt. If they couldn’t land an attack, how would they win this?

“Skewer.” The Axew turned his head at the sound of his name. “We need to get behind Centiskorch.”

Skewer looked at the radiator Pokémon and then back at Rico. He gave him a puzzled look.

“Just follow my lead, ‘kay?” Rico then turned back to Centiskorch and pointed. “Dragon Rage, Skewer! Make it a big one!”

Skewer tilted his head back and formed a large ball of purple energy in his mouth. He concentrated to make it as big as he could handle, then shot it off. 

“Max Guard!”

Centiskorch threw up a barrier that made the shockwave of purple energy explode on impact, harmlessly fizzling out. When the shockwaves subsided, Skewer was nowhere to be seen.

“What?”

Kabu and Centiskorch looked equally confused as they scanned the pitch for any sign of the green dragon. Kabu caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked up, seeing Skewer climbing up Centiskorch’s back.

“Centiskorch! On your back! Shake it off!”

“Skewer! Bite ‘im!”

Skewer chomped down as Centiskorch began to thrash, trying desperately to throw off the tiny dragon. Skewer dug both his claws and jaws into Centiskorch, clinging like a tick. Up close and behind Centiskorch like this, Kabu couldn’t order Centiskorch to attack.

“Now use Poison Jab!”

Skewer’s claws on one hand began glowing purple as he let go and punched Centiskorch’s back.

“Don’t let up, Skewer!”

Skewer held on as best he could as he repeatedly jabbed his claws into Centiskorch’s hide over and over. Centiskorch let out a loud cry and snapped his neck to the side, finally managing to dislodge the Axew. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet. Looking back at Centiskorch, both Rico and Skewer took note of how its body began to take on a purplish hue.

Yes! Centiskorch was poisoned! A bright light consumed the Pokémon as it shrunk down. It was still standing, however, so the Dynamax effect must have just worn off. 

“We’re not done yet!” Kabu declared. “Flame Wheel!”

Centiskorch became a spinning wheel of fire as it sped toward Skewer. Rico had Skewer wait until the last second to dodge. Unfortunately, Kabu didn’t fall for the same trick twice, and thanks to Centiskorch’s smaller, nimbler frame compared to Arcanine, it was easily able to swerve away from the wall and head straight for Skewer!

“Run, Skewer!”

Centiskorch chased Skewer around the pitch. At this point it wasn’t about defeating Centiskorch, it was just about outlasting it. Still, Rico knew they couldn’t keep this up forever, Skewer was going to run out of steam. They just needed to last a little longer.

“Skewer, Dragon Rage!”

Skewer stopped and turned around, shooting the purple beam from his mouth at Centiskorch. The beam seemed to stop Centiskorch in its tracks, but Rico could see it was slowly inching forward. 

_C’mon Skewer!_

Skewer could only keep up his attack for so long. Rico could tell the power of the beam was waning as Centiskorch got closer and closer. Right when Rico was sure Skewer would be hit, Centiskorch suddenly unfurled and collapsed. Even the fire of its antennae went out. Rico wasn’t sure if it was the poison or Skewer’s Dragon Rage that took it down first, but it didn’t matter in the end.

Kabu dropped to his knees like he was the one who was exhausted.

“Great Pokémon and a great Trainer! It's no surprise that you won!” He said facing the ground.

Rico looked at Skewer. The Axew had decided to lie down on his stomach. Rico walked over and bent down to pick him up. Skewer looked up at Rico, eyes struggling to stay open.

“Ya did it. Ya won.”

Skewer gave a tired smile. “Yew…”

“Wanna take a nap?” 

Skewer nodded.

“Get some rest, buddy. Ya earned it.” Rico said as he returned Skewer. He stood up to see Kabu had walked to the middle of the pitch, checking on Centiskorch. Once the Pokémon was safely tucked away in its ball, Kabu turned to face Rico.

“Are you okay?”

Rico cocked his head in confusion. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You took that G-max Centiferno head on. Most trainers get out of the way when they see that coming.”

“Oh! I uh… I don’t burn easy.”

Kabu raised an eyebrow, but didn’t pry.

“That aside, I'm often regarded as the first real roadblock of the Gym Challenge. Yet you defeated me! Your clever strategy caught me completely off guard. Clearly, I still have much to learn!”

He held out his hand for a shake, and Rico takes it.

“I know now that you and your Pokémon will become a fantastic team. I'm glad I could battle you today! Let me give you a Fire Badge as proof that you've defeated me!”

“Thank you, sir.”

Rico loved staring at the shiny badge. Such a cool little treasure. He was probably the only dragon in the world (well, both worlds) who got to have these treasures. He pocketed the badge until he got a chance to attach it to his ring. 

After the formalities were done, Rico headed back to the locker room. He was surprised to see Kabu heading that way too. Initially he was a little irritated. Not that he minded Kabu; he kind of liked the man and his fiery spirit. But he couldn’t change clothes in the other’s presence.

“Thanks to the Dynamax phenomenon, our Pokémon battles have become part of the Galar region's culture. And it's the young Trainers who are responsible for keeping our culture alive.” Kabu said while dabbing the sweat on his face with the towel around his neck. So that’s what it was for.

“Of course, I hope that instead of just keeping it alive, you also help it become something better. We adults will be the pillars for you to build on.”

Rico nodded, not really sure how to respond.

“Well, I’m sure I’ve sufficiently talked your ear off. I’ll allow you to reunite with your dear friend. I’m sure he’s wondering what’s been keeping you so long. You two have been traveling side by side this whole time, no?”

It felt like Kabu was implying something, but Rico couldn’t tell what. “Yeah. We’re together.”

Kabu chuckled to himself as he turned down a fork in the corridor Rico didn’t notice before. “Ah, young love.”

Rico stopped in his tracks, looking back wide-eyed at where Kabu disappeared.

“He’s not my-”

_Oh, but you want him to be, don't you?_

_Shut up, brain!_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sketch didn't come out exactly how I wanted, but it works. Hope I successfully captured Kabu's stoicism.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rico and Hop have a post battle chat.

When Rico stepped back into the lobby, he saw Hop surrounded by other humans. The sight made him growl lowly in his throat. Who were these people and what gave them the right to swarm his human? 

He started making his way closer, noting that Hop didn’t look distressed. In fact, he looked delighted. Hop was in the middle of signing a card held by a human chick that looked much younger than him while the people around him were squealing out praises about his performance in the Gym Challenge. Oh, fans then. It still irritated Rico a little, but at least Hop wasn’t in danger.

After the crowd finally dispersed Hop noticed Rico, immediately making a beeline for him and wrapping him in a hug.

“Rico! That was insane! Are you alright?” Hop started checking Rico from different angles.

“I’m okay. Why?”

“That fire move. G-Max Centiferno. When you didn’t get out of the way I was sure you’d be…” Hop trailed off.

_He was that worried about me?_

Well shucks. Normally it was the other way around. 

“I don’t burn easy. One of the perks of bein’ me.”

“Well that’s a relief.” Hop sighed, then lightly punched Rico in the shoulder. “Don’t freak me out like that.”

“Sorry.” Rico said. “I’m guessin’ ya had to run outta the way?”

“Obviously. Not everyone’s naturally fireproof, Rico.”

“I’m not really ‘fireproof.’” Rico said, making air quotes. “More like fire-resistant.”

“Ah, not fireproof like Centiskorch, eh?” Hop smirked.

So he saw that little screwup. “How was I supposed to know Centiskorch’s ability was Flash Fire?”

“You could have looked it up. You could’ve even asked Dex to look it up for you.”

“I didn’t even know what a Centiskorch was before this. I wouldn’t have known what to look up.” Rico said. 

“And there’s something else I want to talk to you about.” Hop said, leading Rico to a bench. “It’s about your Raboot.”

“If this is about usin’ Max Flare, I just told ya I didn’t know about Centiskorch’s-”

“It’s not that. I think you were pushing Tajin too hard in this match.”

Rico leapt from his seat and gaped at Hop. “What? No, that’s not fair! I didn’t force him to fight! He wanted to keep goin’!”

“Whoa! Easy, Rico.” Hop said, raising his hands in a placating gesture until Rico sat down again. “I’m not calling you a bad trainer. You see, Pokémon are competitive by nature and don’t always know their own limits. They all want to be the best and show off their strength. This means that sometimes they push themselves too far in battle, which can lead to them getting seriously hurt. Like ‘may need to be retired from battle permanently’ hurt.”

Hop must have caught the horrified look in Rico’s eyes because he started with the placating again.

“Once again, I’m not saying you forced your Pokémon to do anything they didn’t want to. But as their trainer, you’re not just their friend, you’re their coach. You gotta know when your Pokémon are pushing themselves too hard, so you can learn when to rein it in and make them stop and rest.”

Rico’s gaze dropped down to the floor. “So I _am_ a bad trainer.”

“No, you’re an inexperienced trainer. This is just more stuff you have to learn. Can’t expect you to know everything right off the bat.”

Rico glanced at Hop. “You do.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve had Scotch for a couple of years now, so I got some hands-on experience. Some of this stuff you also learn in Trainer School.”

“Y’all got school here?”

“Of course. You think they’re gonna just send a bunch of us kids off into the wilderness with no idea what we’re doing?” Hop gave him a teasing grin. 

“This world we live in can be incredibly dangerous, even with our partners by our sides. You go to school until you’re about ten or eleven, then once you graduate you can apply for a trainer’s license. In addition to your ‘general education,’ they make sure you know all about basic wildness survival, first-aid, battling, and Pokémon rearing before you even step foot out on your own.”

“That’s… that’s a lot more than I expected.” 

“Yeah. And not everybody decides to become a trainer right away. Some people apply for higher education.” 

“Higher?” That was news to Rico. He was looking forward to being done with school as soon as he was no longer required to go. 

“Yeah. Take Raihan for example. Don’t give me that look. I know you don’t like him, but this is important. He attended Hammerlocke University while studying to become a Gym Leader.”

Rico nearly fell off the bench. “He went to college!?”

“Sure did.”

“What about Leon?”

“He had one-on-one tutoring paid for by the Chairman once he became Champion. Even got advanced curriculum.”

Rico sighed. “Pokémon trainin’ seemed so much easier in the games.”

Now it was Hop’s turn to looked confused. “What’re you talking about? What games?”

“I promise I’ll explain later. It’s actually something I needed to tell ya for a while now…”

Rico made to stand up when two of his Pokéballs fell out of his pocket.

“Man, it’s gettin’ harder keepin’ all these in my pockets.” Rico complained as he bent down to pick them up. “It was easy when I only had two or three but now…”

“Your pockets? You’re not using a harness?”

Rico abruptly stood back up. “A what?”

Hop lifted the side of his jacket and shirt, revealing that he was wearing a belt with his four shrunken Pokéballs attached.

“It’s a belt that holds your Pokéballs. It has clips so they don’t fall off by accident. All this time you didn’t have one?”

“No! How come ya never told me this before?”

“It never really came up. I thought it was common knowledge. Arceus, Rico. Maybe we should enroll _you_ in a couple of trainer classes. Might do you some good.”

“Doesn’t bein’ part of Mr. Mustard’s dojo count as bein’ a student?” Rico asked as they made for the exit.

“I guess. Hey, wait! If you were a student, shouldn’t they have taught you about battling while you were attending?”

“Yeah, about that.” Rico said, sheepishly scratching his neck. “For like the first week or so I didn’t have Skewer yet, so I had to sit out on the battlin’.”

“But didn’t you at least watch the battles?”

“Er… It’s kinda hard to pay attention when you’re not actually a part of it.”

“What, were you distracted?” Hop raised his eyebrows. “Too many good-looking guys on the battlefield?”

Rico shoved him. “No! Nothin’ like that!” 

“What about when you got Skewer? Surely you took part in battles then, right?”

“Yeah. I mean, I lost most of them. But… I didn’t stay long after that.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“I really don’t wanna talk about it right now.” Rico said as he pushed open the doors. “Sorry.”

Hop stared after Rico. What was that about? All this time he talked about his time at the dojo it sounded positive. 

There was still so much Hop didn’t understand about this dragon.

************

Rico had been waiting inside the Pokémon Center lobby for a while. Hop needed to use the bathroom, so Rico was sat on a cushy chair until both their Pokémon teams were healed up.

The world of Pokémon was a lot more complicated than he thought. It wasn’t just about making your pets fight each other in shows of strength. Granted, he had begun to understand that back when he first got Skewer, but…

What was he doing, treating this whole thing like it was some sort of vacation? Of course nothing was gonna be as simple as it seemed in a video game. This was real life! And it would do him good to remember this wasn’t a vacation; he was on a mission. He was hoping going along with this Gym Challenge might unlock more of his memories, and a good few did surface. But he still had no idea how he got here, nor did he have any idea how to get back home.

Back to Scourge and Ara and Auntie. Back to their ranch. Back to Nugget. Back to school and his friends and…

…and away from Skewer. And Tajin. And the rest of his new fleet. Away from Galar and the Isle and Galarian curry and Alolan-style pancakes that his own world’s could never match up to. Away from Mr. Mustard and Mrs. Honey and Hyde and Fescue and Miss Sonia and Marnie and Milo and Leon…

…and away from Hop.

Rico scrunched up his pant leg in his fist.

_Hop…_

Well, it’s not like he was in any rush to get back, right? He’s sure they would understand even if they were worried about him. As long as he gets home in the end, that’s all that mattered. 

He’d feel a lot less guilty about it if he could just send them a letter or a message or something to let them know he was okay.

“Rico.”

Rico was stirred from his thoughts, looking up to see Hop standing over him. He didn’t even notice him approach.

“You okay? You’re about to tear a hole in your trousers there.”

Rico loosened his grip on his pants. Thankfully his claws hadn’t torn into the fabric.

“I’m good. Just thinkin’ about… stuff.”

Hop didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t press further. “Nurse Joy said our Pokémon are ready to pick up.”

“Great!” Rico jumped to his feet. “Let’s grab ‘em and get something to eat!”

Rather than tease him, Hop chuckled. “I guess it is about lunchtime. And all I had to eat today was a bag of Crunchies.”

“Brought to ya by yours truly, may I add.”

“Yeah. Thanks for that.”

“Aw, it was nothin’. I just figured you’d be hungry. Considerin’ ya _skipped breakfast._ ”

“Alright, alright. I get it.” Hop said, still grinning as he raised his hands in mock surrender. “No more skipping meals. Don’t want to do anything to upset my dragon.”

If anyone else had called him that, Rico might threatened to tear their throat out. 

But it was different when Hop said it. Like the way Rico thought of Hop as his human.

They thanked Nurse Joy as they collected their respective teams. Rico grumbled as he just managed to stuff the shrunken Pokéballs in his pockets as they left the Center.

“So where can I get one of those belt holders?”

“Hmm. I think Motostoke Boutique has a couple.”

“Great. Where is it?”

“Follow me.”

Rico found out he had actually passed the shop many times, as it was right across from the café he loves so much. 

He didn’t need Hop’s help this time to pick out what he needed. The belts all looked pretty similar, and it was easy to find one that fit. It wasn’t uncomfortable either. The Pokéballs attached with a strong magnetic clip so no amount of jostling could knock them loose by accident. Nice. No more dropping Pokéballs. And it was easily hidden under his shirt and jacket.

He left the store with a more content spring in his step, then pestered Hop about where they were going to eat. Hop wanted to leave for the Wild Area as soon as possible, so he suggested they try the small markets situated near the entrance to Motostoke. Rico was fine with that as long as the end result was food in his belly.

The markets close to the Wild Area accepted Watts as payment, which was great. Rico had a lot of watts. Enough buy a buffet’s worth of food, apparently. Hop had to convince him to tone it down, as there was no way they’d be able to carry all that food with them through the Wild Area.

“Carry it? I was gonna eat all of this now.” Rico said, polishing off a third slice of toast with curry roux.

“You’re insane.” Hop said, nibbling on what was left of his chips. He thought of offering the rest to Rico, but decided it would be better to pack it up for later. Maybe they could mix it into curry later.

After carefully wrapping up his food and tucking it into his bag, he checked on Rico, who was now slurping down a cup of instant noodles. He really would eat just about anything.

When Rico was finally done, he scampered over to Hop.

“Dessert?” He asked, holding out a fancy-looking apple. “Don’t worry. This one’s just an apple. Not a Pokémon.”

“You sure?” Hop asked.

“Yeah. It’s got no eyes.”

“No. I mean, are you sure you want me to have it? I thought you’d want to eat it yourself.”

“We could split it if ya want.” Without waiting for a confirmation, Rico tore the apple in half with his claws and offered a piece to Hop. He was elated when Hop accepted it and began to munch on it.

“Hop! Rico!”

They both turned around at the sound of their names, seeing Kabu jogging to them.

_Oh no._

Did he see them split that apple? Were they standing too close together? Was he going to insinuate something from that?

“Oh hey, Mr. Kabu!” Hop called out, waving with the hand that wasn’t holding the apple. “You’re the Gym Leader, but you still came all the way to see us off? I bet you can already tell that I’m the one who’ll become the next Champion, yeah?”

Kabu looked between the two of them, no doubt seeing each half of the fruit they shared. He raised a knowing eyebrow at Rico, who proceeded to shove his entire apple half into his mouth.

“There are many Trainers who never manage to gather three Gym Badges, and they just give up on the Gym Challenge altogether…” Kabu explained. “So we make a point to see of any Trainers who are able to defeat all of us.”

“We?” Hop asked.

“Hey you guys!”

Another familiar voice made Rico and Hop’s heads turn. Sonia was waving as she approached with Nessa by her side. And behind them…

Rico nearly choked on his apple.

_Milo’s here!_

“Whew… We made it...” Nessa panted. “Thank goodness for flying taxis!”

Sonia giggled. “You can clear an Olympic-sized swimming pool in 30 seconds, but a few minutes of running has you winded?”

“Hush you!” Nessa snapped. Though there was no real bite to it if the smile on her face and sparkle in her eye suggested as much.

“Hi Sonia, Nessa, Milo. What’re you all doing here?” Hop asked.

“We’re here to congratulate you!” Nessa explained. “It’s pretty amazing you two managed to beat Kabu!”

“Not a lot of Challengers are able to get a Gym Badge from Kabu.” Milo added. “We like to get together to see them off, as a way of showing our support.”

He smiled at Rico, and Rico realized how stupid he must have looked in that moment with his cheeks full. He gulped down the apple.

“…Thanks.” 

“To think you two only started the Gym Challenge a couple of weeks ago.” Sonia said. “And look how far you’ve already gotten!”

Hop beamed widely. “Though it was no easy feat getting past Hoenn’s Man of Fire himself, Kabu!”

“What?” Rico snapped his attention from Hop to Kabu and back to Hop. “He’s from the Hoenn region?”

“Of course.” Hop said. “Didn’t you read his card? Marnie gave you one too, right?”

Rico dug the card out, flipping it over so he could read the back. It felt too awkward to read the card out loud with Kabu standing there.

_Kabu is a Pokémon Trainer who was invited from the Hoenn region. There were a few times where he was very close to becoming Champion, but victory always seemed to elude him at the last moment. Because of this, he adopted a no-holds-barred approach to battling for a time, but even that did not bring the results he wanted. He even dropped to the minor division at one point, but after a fantastic battle with Leon, he regained faith in his own potential. His motto is to keep learning and training as long as he is alive._

“Wow. That’s kinda noble…”

Kabu chuckled. "Why, thank you."

Oh crap. Did Rico say that out loud?

“Hey, by the way. Rico has a cousin in Hoenn!” Hop said. 

“Oh is that so?” Kabu turned his attention to Rico. “Are they a good trainer as well?”

“Uh…she uh…” _Damn, Hop. Why’d ya put me on the spot like that?_ “Ara actually like contests more…”

“Hmm. A Coordinator then. Has she ever participated in the Grand Festival?”

“I don’t know.” Rico quickly said. “It’s… it’s been a long time since I saw her.”

“Well I do hope one day you two will be reunited.”

_Ya don’t know the half of it, man._

“Don’t hesitate to contact me if you should ever find yourself in Hoenn and need a guide.” Kabu went on. “And if I ever encounter a Coordinator named Ara on one of my sabbaticals, I’ll be sure to let her know you’re doing quite well as a young trainer, Rico.”

“Um, thanks sir.” Rico said, looking down at his feet.

Milo smiled. “Extended families are the best.”

Rico nodded. He could definitely agree with that.

Kabu suddenly stood straight up.

"And now,” he announced, “allow me to send you off with a proper, sporty chant!"

Nessa and Sonia groaned while Milo’s eyes lit up. Based on their reactions, it seemed like this wasn’t a first-time thing for Kabu.

“Hustle, hustle, hustle, Hop! You can do it, you can do it, Rico!”

Though his words were encouraging, the intensity and the volume of Kabu’s chant made him sound like a drill sergeant. The contradiction was amusing enough that Rico couldn’t help but clap.

Kabu gave a dramatic bow, much to the amusement of his companions.

“Thanks, you all!” Hop said. “You bet we’re gonna keep winning! All the way to the Championship Cup!”

“Such confidence!” Kabu laughed. “I think it’s a safe bet to assume we’ll be seeing you two facing off in the semi-finals!”

Rico glanced at Hop. It was true. If they did make it to the League together, they would eventually have to face each other in an official match, where only one could be victorious. 

Well that was pretty bold to assume he would even make it that far. Rico wasn’t sure he’d even be around long enough to take part.

“Of course! I have no doubt that you two will make it to the top!” Milo said.

“Don’t get too cocky now.” Nessa said. “The Gym Leaders you will face ahead are no pushovers.”

“You’re no pushover yourself, Ness.” Sonia said, snuggling into Nessa’s side. This time it was Rico who gave her a knowing look. Sonia stared right back, defiantly not moving from her position.

“Regardless, I believe that you will prevail! Believe in your Pokémon and keep pushing on!” Kabu declared.

“Thanks again!” Hop said. “C’mon, Rico! We’re headed for Hammerlocke!”

“Agh, finally!” Rico said, waving at the Gym Leaders and Sonia as he followed Hop. “Thanks for the support, y’all!”

Once they were out of sight, the Gym Leaders began to disperse. Milo suggested that they all meet up in the pub before they head home, considering it’s been so long since they all got together like this and they had no more Challengers for the day. Kabu nodded his assent, saying he was going to head back to his Gym first to lock up for the evening. Sonia and Nessa took to shopping through Motostoke’s boutique for the time being.

“What was with that look?” Nessa asked.

Sonia blinked in confusion. “What look?” 

“That look the kid was giving us. It was almost smug. Like he knew something no one else did.”

“Um… I did mention he had us figured out right?” Sonia said.

“What?” Nessa turned to look at Sonia, eyes wide. “What do you mean he ‘figured us out?’ Since when?”

“It was back in Hulbury. Chairman Rose dragged Rico, Hop, and I to the Captain’s Table-”

“Ugh.” Nessa scrunched up her face like she smelled something foul.

“You’re telling me. Anyway, after that painful excuse for a dinner, Rose left, Hop stepped out to try and book a hotel room for the night, and Rico came to me for advice.”

“Advice? For what?”

Sonia giggled a little. “He wanted dating advice.”

Nessa sputtered. “Are you serious?”

“You can’t make this stuff up. He just wanted advice on how to get someone you like to notice you. Said because I was a ‘girl’ and already in a relationship I would be good at that sort of thing.”

“He’s such a boy.” Nessa scoffed. “But wait, that doesn’t explain how he knew about us.”

“Well, you know how every time we meet up in Hulbury you bring me seafood from the restaurant?” Sonia let that sink in for a moment. “Apparently bringing and sharing food is a courtship ritual for his kind.”

“Well I’ll be damned.” Nessa said, incredulous.

“I know. It’s fascinating though. I’m so glad Lee asked me to keep tabs on him.”

“I don’t get it though. Not that I think you’re not qualified to do this, but why is Leon asking for your help specifically? Raihan’s the self-proclaimed dragon tamer. Shouldn’t he be the one keeping tabs on the dragon?”

“A sound theory, except for that fact that Rico apparently hates your cousin.”

Nessa burst out in surprised laughter. “I’m sorry, what?”

“That’s what Lee told me that Raihan told him. Rico attacked him as soon as he got too close.”

“Oh my freaking Arceus! I know it’s mean to laugh, but that’s too funny! Oh, but he’s okay, right?” 

“He’s fine. It wasn’t more than a scratch.”

They dropped the subject after a while, much more interested in the 20% off sale the store was having.

“Look at this top! It’s so cute! You should try it on!”

“I don’t know. It’s not something I’d usually go for. You think I could pull it off?”

“You’re a model, Ness. You look good in anything!”


End file.
